Lost
by punklau
Summary: No one told him how hard it would be to raise a child at such a young age, and he never planned to do it alone. With a past full of strains and secrets, can Punk lure back the one thing which made his chaotic childhood worth living, or has too much time been lost after so much terror which drove that one good thing away? (AU)
1. The Rebel

**The Rebel**

* * *

"Your dad will be here to pick you up." A principle teacher nodded as the young girl, around the age of seventeen nodded and looked straight through her, folding her arms.

"Am I suspended?" The girl asked.

"Another suspension would mean the next step is completely exclusion and a transfer to a different high school." The principle teacher said, "If it wasn't for the reason that the fight was… pretty evenly sided, you'd be excluded completely."

"You should just do it then." The girl shrugged.

"I'm not gonna." The principle said, "Next time, though. You're out those doors." She said, "Wait here for your dad." She told her, walking on down the hallway and back into her office as the young teen just shook her head, folding her arms and sinking down on the chair as she watched the different teachers go by. Normally they would stare, but it seemed like they were just used to her there now.

She sat for fifteen minutes after being promised her dad would be there in five, chewing her gum loudly, trying to spit it out and reach the trash can across from her when she listened to the entrance door open up, looking over at her father walking in.

"Freddie. Your dad is here." An office woman called as Freddie stood up.

"Yeah, I can see him." Freddie whispered to herself, hauling her bag over her shoulder and walking down the hallway. She had a black denim skirt on, doc martins, a cut up band t-shirt and a leather jacket. Her hair was long, dark and wavy and she had a beanie on top, "What's up, dad?" She smiled as her father just signed the form he had to sign and headed on out the school as Freddie followed him, "What? You're talking to me?" She laughed a little, following him out of the school.

"You're on thin ice, kid." Her father said, "Get in the car." He pointed as Freddie just shook her head, throwing her bag in the back seat and getting in the front, "What was it this time? Someone look at you the wrong way?" He asked her.

"No it was just some girls being mean." Freddie said, "C'mon, we've always agreed that bullies deserve to be beaten." She said.

"You're gonna get kicked out soon." Her father said, "And then what? You have to transfer for your last year? What's the point in that?"

"It's not like I got friends here." Freddie said.

"You got friends. Stop feeling sorry for yourself." He said, "Get your feet off the dashboard." He pushed her legs down as she groaned, "You're lucky that principle teacher likes you." He said, pulling out of the space and out of the school grounds, his tattooed hands gripping the steering wheel as Freddie just leaned her head against the car window.

"She doesn't like me. She feels sorry for me. She thinks I'm troubled." Freddie said.

"Well hell, maybe you are. Ain't no teenage girls I knew in my school that fought with anyone." He said.

"You always encouraged me to fight with people. Now all of a sudden it's bad?" She asked.

"I didn't mean literally, Freddie." Her father laughed a little, "You know what's gonna happen?" He asked her.

"What's gonna happen, dad?" Freddie asked.

"You're gonna end up not knowing how to like people, because you're so programmed into hating everyone. You wanna go to college, right? How you gona make friends there?"

"I won't." Freddie said simply, "I'll make friends with all the guy teachers though." She smirked as her father shook his head.

"Don't push it." He warned her as she just laughed.

"I'm hungry. Take me for a cheeseburger." She said as her father shook her head, "C'mon don't let a girl go hungry." She said.

* * *

"Phil? Where'd you go?" The boss of a tattoo parlour asked.

"Sorry, man. I had to pick Freddie up from school." Phil, or better known as Punk said, returning back to work after dropping his seventeen year old daughter back at home, of course after getting her cheeseburger, and maybe one for himself too.

"That took you more than an hour?" His boss, Josh asked.

"You know, man. I had to have a long talk with her. She's been acting up again." Punk said as Josh just shook his head.

"Just… get back to work." Josh shook his head as Punk nodded and headed back into one of the rooms to get ready for the next customer. He'd been working at the tattoo parlour forever. He started as a clean-up boy when he was a kid, and then shortly he got trained and became fully qualified to tattoo.

He lived in Chicago with his daughter. His life pretty much consisted of working and raising her, even though he questioned his talent at both of them, more so the raising his daughter part.

"Yo." A dirty blonde curly haired guy walked into the room as Punk looked up.

"Hey." Punk nodded to his best friend who just so happened to work the supplies for the parlour every now and then, "What's up?" He asked his friend, Dean. He wasn't really just a best friend, he was more like a brother. Due to a tough upbringing and different circumstances, he even lived with Dean as a kid for a while.

"You coming out later for drinks?" Dean asked him, unloading some boxes with new equipment and ink whilst Punk got set up.

"Well I'm working until 8 and I… I should get back to Fred. Had to pick her up from school again. Fighting or something." He shook his head.

"What is with that girl?" Dean laughed a little, "Next it'll be the drugs."

"Shut up." Punk said, "Don't put that shit on my mind. She already gives me heart attacks as it is." He said, "No point in even talking to her anymore. Goes in one ear, out the other." He said.

"Well me and Kate are going out. Feel free to join us if you want to." Dean told him.

"Thanks for the offer but I'll miss this one out." Punk nodded. He himself had two sleeves of tattoos as well as a full chest piece. He also had other ones dotted around his legs, behind his ear and his hands. He was always fascinated with the art and was very content and happy in the field of work he was in. Of course having a kid had always made life a little more challenging, especially when he had her at such a young age with very little to no support. It hadn't been an easy ride, that was for sure.

"Ok, well if you change your mind we'll be in the local, yeah?" Dean said.

"Ok, man. Thanks." Punk smiled. He was born Phillip Jack Brooks, into a family of alcoholics and drug addicts. It made growing up extremely difficult. He used to run away as a child, try his hardest to get lost, but somehow he always ended up back there, until he had enough and moved in with Dean and his family. He didn't sulk about it. It was life and he knew everyone had their own stories.

* * *

He got home later on after his shift, walking into the apartment, dumping his car keys and his wallet down immediately, "Mrs Price said you've to turn that down." Punk said, referring to the loud music his daughter was playing from her bedroom, watching her walk by him with a bowl of cereal.

"Isn't she deaf yet?" Freddie shook her head.

"Apparently not. Turn it down, yeah?" Punk told her, watching her walk back into her room, closing the door with her foot. A few minutes later, he heard the music get louder and shook his head. He was used to her behaviour by now.

He made his way into the kitchen to make himself some dinner, suddenly listening as the music stopped, soon hearing his daughter walk into the kitchen, "What do you want?" Punk asked, already sensing her wanting something from him.

"Could you maybe give me a ride tomorrow?" Freddie asked him.

"To where?" Punk turned around. He liked to see her at home where she wasn't trying hard to look like an outcast, where she would wear sweats and a t-shirt and leave her hair a mess. She looked a lot like her mom.

"To the art museum. I'm going with friends. Not a boy." She said, before he got the chance to ask, pushing herself up and sitting on the kitchen counter.

"Weren't you there like two weeks ago?" Punk asked her.

"Yeah but now they've opened up a new section. Remember, they've been working on it?" She said as Punk nodded, "So I wanna check it out." She said.

"What time?" Punk asked her.

"Doors open at 8am, but I wanna be there early so like… we should leave her… 7?" She asked as Punk glared at her, "What?" Freddie laughed.

"It's my day off tomorrow and you're getting me out of bed at 7am?" Punk asked her.

"Yes I am." Freddie smiled, "You can go back to sleep when you come home." She rolled her eyes.

"I shouldn't be letting you go anywhere after today. You're lucky you got a nice dad." He said.

"Do I?" Freddie laughed.

"Yeah, you do. Normal dads would lock you in your room, take away all your… favourite stuff." He waved his hand.

"You're not a normal dad, Punker." Freddie said, kicking him on the arm as Punk just shook his head, "Look on the bright side, you got a full day of me not being around." She smiled.

"Heaven." Punk nodded.

"Right?" Freddie agreed, "But not unless you take me." She smiled as he just shook his head.

"I suppose I don't have a choice, do I?" He said.

"No, not really." Freddie smiled, "Thanks." She nodded, jumping down from the counter, kissing his cheek as he just shoved her away as she smiled and left the kitchen. He was proud of the very strong woman she was becoming, but he found it hard to not have her as that little kid anymore. She was defiant, outspoken, extremely beautiful but also struggled a lot with a lot of things in life. Just like her mother. She was just like her mother in every aspect.

She had kept him company over the years and in a way, had been his bestest friend. It hadn't been easy, not at all, but they always had each other and that seemed to be enough.

* * *

"Do you know what time it is?" Punk asked, answering the door at around 2am as he saw a man he considered a father walk into the apartment, Dean's father, Julio.

"Yes I know what time it is. You didn't show up last night at the Owl Hole." Julio said.

"Yeah I was helping Freddie with an art project. She needed an extra set of hands." Punk nodded.

"Still into art, is she?" Julio asked as Punk nodded.

"Yeah, she's going to college to study it." Punk said, "That is if she… stops getting kicked out of school." He said.

"Reminds me of someone." Julio smiled a little, "I just… as someone I regard as a son, I expect you to be at these meetings. Or at least tell me you won't be there." Julio nodded, "I have no problem with you not going, it's hard raising a kid, never mind doing it alone, and she's at that annoying age too." He nodded.

"It… honestly just slipped my mind." Punk told him as Julio looked across at him, "Did I miss much then?" He asked.

"No, we just had a couple of drinks. North siders are trying to blame that robbery on us, it's been wrote about in the paper."

"Yeah I saw." Punk nodded, "Fades out, you know it does. People have been having these perceptions about the Ravens since the beginning of time. Like we go out to cause chaos. When in reality, we only look out for our own." He said, "Don't step on a crow, they got no reason to bite." Punk shrugged as Julio nodded and smiled.

"Damn straight." Julio nodded, "Things aren't like how they used to be. Maybe if… if that ex of yours knew that, she'd come home." He said as Punk shook his head.

"April has been gone for seventeen years." Punk said, "I doubt she'll come back now." He shrugged as Julio just nodded.

"Her loss." Julio whispered, "Next time just… give me the heads up that you won't be showing face. Atonette was sad she didn't see you." He said, referring to Dean's mother, who was also like a mother to Punk.

"I'll come by the house and see her." Punk smiled, "I'm sorry." He nodded.

"It's ok." Julio nodded, "I'll go. I suppose we have to sleep, don't we?" He said as Punk nodded, "See you around, my boy."

"See you around." Punk nodded, closing the door over and making his way back into his bedroom, closing the door over and collapsing down on the bed.

He was incredibly thankful for the home Julio and his wife gave him, and the outer family he was introduced to as their way of life, however it also came with a lot strains in his life and a lot of cracks. Trading his alcoholic and drug addicted parents for a notorious gang family may have seemed ridiculous to some people, but it had become a way of his life, and his family.

* * *

 **A/N: Another different type of story which will hopefully interest you guys! Excited to see where this goes. Leave a review and let me know what you're thinking!**


	2. The Beginning

**The Beginning**

* * *

"So who are you going with?" Punk yawned the next morning as he drove along the quiet road whilst Freddie sat beside. He didn't raise her to be so bold and outspoken. She'd developed that on her own. He always put it down to her being like her mother, but then he figured it was perhaps because she didn't have that mother figure around.

"Just a couple of friends." Freddie told him and shrugged.

"That narrows it down for me." Punk nodded sarcastically, "Your usual friends?"

"Yes, dad. My usual friends." Freddie said, "What are you doing with your day off then?" She asked him, checking herself in the car mirror from above which she folded down.

"Nothing." Punk said, "Thankfully. I'm going back to bed. Watch some baseball. Go on a date if I feel like it." He nodded.

"You're the worst." Freddie laughed a little.

"I'm not." Punk defended, "What's wrong with a date?"

"Nothing is wrong with a date. You dating is a completely different story. You're a horrible, horrible guy." She nodded.

"Uh… no I'm not." Punk said, taking offence, "I'm lovely. I just don't want to give you the pressure of a step mom so I don't… I don't let anything stick." He nodded, pulling up to the art museum as Freddie just made a face.

"Step mom is better than no mom in my opinion." Freddie said as Punk just nodded along, "Well enjoy… whatever it is you end up doing. It's possible I'll call later for you to pick me up. Unless I hitch hike with an older guy on a motorcycle with a beard and-"

"Why do you say shit like that to me?" Punk asked as she laughed loudly, "It makes me feel nauseous, do you know that?"

"That's why I say it." Freddie said, "Chill out, if I don't call it's cause I've got a ride home with someone else. So don't sweat it." She told him, "Thanks for getting up at 7am to take me here, you're a real life angel." She said, leaning over and kissing his cheek.

"Yeah, alright get out of the car." Punk grumbled as Freddie laughed a little and got out of the car, tying her plaid shirt around her waist as she watched her dad drive off, walking over to her two friends from high school, the only two, Jenny and Lucy.

"Was that your dad?" Lucy asked, "I love your dad." She smiled as Freddie shook her head.

"Has he been working out?" Jenny asked as Freddie looked at them both, "Sorry, it's just… he's such a dilf."

"Stop, please." Freddie shook her head, "He's the worst to woman so… that should put you off him."

"He could call me a slut and I'd say thank you." Lucy said as Freddie cringed.

"Please stop it. That's my dad." She shook her head, walking up the steps to the museum.

"Hot dad." Jenny corrected as Freddie shook her head, "Ok, we'll stop." She smiled, "As long as I get an invite to dinner soon. I've not been over in a while." She smiled as Freddie shoved her over and continued to walk up the steps of the museum with them.

* * *

Punk got home later and went back to sleep like he had planned, and when he woke up, he wound up answering the door to Dean who walked on into the apartment.

"Home alone?" Dean asked him, making himself comfortable, sliding over the back of the couch into a lying down position and turning on the baseball as Punk watched.

"Yeah. Freddie is out with her friends at some museum thing I don't know." Punk said, "Can I help you?"

"No, not really." Dean said, "Well, my dad was kinda pissed at you for not showing at the Owl Hole the other night." He said, "You've been slipping away more and more. He's worried about you." Dean admitted, sitting up as Punk took a seat on the chair across.

"He doesn't need to worry. I've just been busy." He said, "Working, helping Freddie." He said, "I explained it to him last night, he seemed cool with it."

"He's not losing sleep or anything but he's just… you know how big he is on family, and you're like his son, he just doesn't want you to slip away, that's all." Dean said.

"Well it's not really like how it used to be, is it?" Punk said, "It's not that code we live by anymore the way it was back then. Where it was… all we had was each other and there were serious shit going on… now it's just a meet up in the Owl to gossip about what's going on around town." He laughed a little.

"I know but my dad still expects everyone to be there. I know it's not the same, and I'm thankful for it. We all are. Those were… bad times." Dean nodded, "But it's still a part of our life. Who we are." Dean nodded.

"I know." Punk nodded, "Trust me, I'll never forget that. It's my family. The only family I've ever had." He said, "And I wouldn't ever forget that, but… it's not a top priority to me like it used to be. It's like a hobby now." He laughed a little as Dean nodded.

"You're right." Dean nodded, "Mom was pissed you weren't there though. Like, you could have called."

"I know I could have. I'm sorry. It's just… trying to get Freddie to stop… playing up at school so she can finish her last year and go to college is a challenge." He said, "Can't tell where she takes it from, me or Ape."

"Definitely April." Dean laughed, "Rebel without a cause she was." He nodded, "Hear anything about her?"

"Nothing." Punk said, "She's probably married with kids now. Successful at something." He said, "This was never the life she wanted-"

"She's still the girl who ran out on her daughter." Dean shrugged.

"She was eighteen." Punk said, "And… there was more to it than that. She had a tough time-"

"We all had a tough time." Dean said, "She was one of us. We have rules. Codes. First one is to never turn our backs on one another." He said, "I can't believe you still defend her."

"I don't defend her. I just… know her a bit better… a lot better than anyone else did."

"Well I should think so. You got her pregnant." Dean made a face.

"You know what I mean." Punk said.

"Does Fred ask you about her?" Dean wondered.

"Sometimes. Not as much as she did when she was little. She knows AJ going away had reasons behind it but… I think she just blocks it out. I've never told her everything. I don't think she needs to know the full story." He admitted.

"Do you think she'd come back?" Dean asked.

"After missing seventeen years of her daughter's life? Why bother?" Punk shrugged.

"She did love you, you know." Dean nodded, "Doesn't seem like it with how it all ended with you both but she did."

"Yeah well I loved her too." Punk said bluntly, "That was the problem." He admitted, "She had the right idea getting out of this place." He nodded, "It was chaos back then but… at least we had each other."

* * *

" _Alright, I'm going in." Seventeen year old Punk stood up from the cafeteria table where he was sat with all he and Dean's buddies who were well known for being in one of the most notorious south side gangs around. They didn't have a particular look, but everyone knew who they were._

 _Punk got up from the table, listening as his buddies whistled and shouted things. He just ignored them and continued walking off. He had a bandana that held back his bleach blonde hair, and had a lip ring, which contributed to that charming smile he was known for._

 _He kept his eyes on the girl who he'd been on and off flirting with for a few weeks in some of his classes. She was Puerto Rican with the most gorgeous skin, dark long hair down her back, innocent brown eyes and a gorgeous smile. He thought she was the most beautiful person he'd ever saw._

" _Hey." Punk smiled smoothly, sitting down across from her at the table as she immediately looked across at him. She had a certain vibe about her which gave him chills. She looked fearless yet he still wanted to keep her safe._

" _Hi." AJ smiled, tucking a stand of hair behind her ear, "Can I help you?" She asked him._

" _Yeah, as a matter of fact you could." Punk said as she smiled, looking into his eyes. She thought he was the cutest boy in school. Every time he spoke to her in a class, even if it was just to ask for a pen, her stomach jumped. But she knew what he was involved in and she knew that may have been an issue, "Are you doing anything tonight?" He asked her._

" _No." AJ shook her head in a whisper. His voice was low and calm. She didn't socialise with many people at school, never mind boys, but he felt different, and she'd felt those eyes of his on her for the past few weeks._

" _Will you let me take you on a date?" Punk asked her._

" _Will I?" AJ smiled, looking across at him, "Yeah I think I could fit it in." She nodded, taking a pen out from her bag beside her, reaching out for his hand as he watched, "This is my address." She told him, writing it down on his hand as he smirked a little, "Name a time." She said._

" _7?" Punk asked her._

" _7 it is." AJ smiled, "Should I… bring anything?" She asked him._

" _Just yourself." Punk nodded as she smiled._

 _She knew what life he was a part of but that didn't scare her. She'd been scared in her life before and for some reason, this boy was the least scary thing she'd ever encountered. He made her feel giddy and excited inside, and she'd had her eye on him for a while._

" _See you then." AJ whispered to him as he nodded, getting up from the seat and heading back to where his buddies were, smiling to himself as he sat back down with them._

" _You didn't even have to put in the graft." Dean laughed._

" _You kidding?" Punk said, "I've been grafting with her for half the year with just my eyes." He said as Dean scoffed._

" _Where she live?" Dean asked, looking at his hand at the address as he paused, "Lives on the north." Dean cringed as Punk looked at the address and looked over at AJ who sat herself eating her lunch._

* * *

 **A/N: Another story with lots of flashbacks. I think it's more interesting that way. Lots more to come. Let me know what you think!**


	3. Instant

**Instant**

* * *

" _Who do you live at home with?" Punk asked, walking along the dark street later on after their date. She was everything he expected her to be and he felt like he'd known her for a lifetime. There was a connection there for sure._

" _My mom and dad." AJ nodded, "My mom is… a little crazy. She works in a bakery across town. Dad is an engineer." She told him as he nodded, "What about you?" She asked him. She really liked him. He was a little intense sometimes, but she liked it. To stare and flirt with someone for so long and finally be asked out on a date was nice._

" _Little complicated." Punk laughed a little as she looked up at him._

" _Why is that?" She smiled._

" _Well I got parents, yeah." Punk nodded, "Not very good ones. Alcoholics, drug addicts." He said, "I moved out and I've been living with Dean and his family. Dean Ambrose." He told her as AJ nodded._

" _The gang family?" She asked him as he nodded, "You get what you need there?"_

" _They treat me more like their son than my biological parents ever did." Punk shrugged, "It's like one big family. I… wouldn't change it for the world." He told her truthfully, "Is it a problem?" He asked._

" _What?" She looked at him._

" _Me… the gang. I know they've been around for years, lot of… bad things you've probably heard, living on the North and all." He said, scratching the back of his neck, "Put you off?" He wondered worriedly._

" _No." AJ shook her head, "No, we all… have our own families. Like you said." She nodded, "I wouldn't judge anyone for trying to find a home somewhere." She smiled to him as he nodded. She was the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen and her personality matched her beauty on the outside too. She was honest which he loved, and not scared easily at all._

" _I know you got questions." Punk noticed as she laughed a little, "What is it?"_

" _Nothing." AJ laughed a little, "I just… what's it like being in a gang? I mean, we all hear about them, but… what goes on?"_

" _You'd be surprised at how little." Punk laughed, "In fact, we're pretty much just the brunt of blame in this town. Something goes wrong, blame it on us. I mean, it makes sense but… it's leaving more room for north siders to get away with more, which is annoying." He said, "We have our bar, we do normal things, parties, weddings, birthdays… yeah there's times where things get ugly but… I just like the feeling of… having a family, because that's what it is." He said as she smiled._

" _So you don't… kill people at night or anything?" AJ asked as Punk smiled a little._

" _No, nothing like that. Maybe in like the 40s." He said as she laughed a little, "It's not like that anymore." He told her._

" _You know I didn't think you'd ask me out." She admitted, "I thought you would have already had a girlfriend." She said modestly as Punk smiled a little._

" _No. No girlfriend." Punk told her, "Got my eyes on someone else." He said as she looked up at him and smiled. She didn't regard herself as a good girl by any means, but standing next to him she felt like an angel. He had a bad vibe about him but she knew he wasn't a bad person. She really liked him. She had done for a while, and getting to know him a little more made her like him even more._

" _My parents aren't in." AJ said, approaching her house as Punk turned to her, "Do you… wanna come in?" She asked him as he turned to her and gave her a small smirk. He didn't expect an invite inside already, but they'd sure hit it off. He trusted her already, which was rare for him to take trust in someone so quickly. But she was different._

" _Yeah ok." Punk nodded as she smiled, walking down the pathway to her house, unlocking the door and walking in as he followed behind her._

* * *

"C'mon, get up!" Punk yelled outside Freddie's room door, "You're gonna be late." He said, knocking on the door as he heard something hit against it, probably a shoe or something to shut him up.

One thing he wouldn't miss in the next few years would be trying to get Freddie out of bed to go to school. It was his idea of a living nightmare and he couldn't recall one morning where she'd gotten up on time.

"Fred! Get up, kid. Don't make me get the water." He warned, walking away from the door, using that as a genuine threat. There had been plenty of times where he'd dumped water over her to get her up. Of course she jumped on him and tried inflict physical pain on him but that wasn't the point.

He made his way back to the kitchen to make his breakfast whilst he finally heard Freddie getting up. It did seem like yesterday where she was a little small child going off to elementary school. Time really had went by fast. He still struggled with the fact she was approaching the age of eighteen.

"Ok. I'm up. Don't call the cops." Freddie announced, walking into the kitchen as Punk turned to her.

"Look at you, not dressing to give me a heart attack for once." Punk nodded, "Good for you." He said, studying her casual jeans and sweatshirt. Her hair was half up and half done. She always made the effort with her appearance. But he didn't believe she had to try hard, she was a naturally beautiful girl. Which also scared him.

"What's wrong with the way I dress?" Freddie laughed a little, shoving some bread in the toaster and heading for the fridge to get the orange juice out.

"Well for one, you cut up t-shirts for some… weird reason." He said, "The skirts are getting a little too short." He also added.

"You'd say that anyway." Freddie rolled her eyes, "You'd have me put in a nunnery if you could." She shook her head.

"I mean… we can always talk about it-"

"Shut up." Freddie laughed as he just nodded, "Do you think they're all virgins?" She asked, "The nuns?" She said, buttering her toast as Punk turned to her, "Or do you think some of them like… go out secretly at night?"

"I don't think I know the answer to that." Punk told her honestly, "I mean… one of them has bound to have got freaky with the priest, right?" He said.

"You're terrible." Freddie laughed to herself.

"No I'm not." Punk laughed at himself as she just shook her head, "Can you promise me you'll go to school today and not… do anything ridiculous?"

"When do I ever do anything ridiculous, dad?" Freddie questioned whilst eating her toast.

"Quite a lot actually." Punk nodded, "No more… suspensions. No more… fighting or anything like that. Just keep your head down. Makes it a lot easier for everyone. Including me." He said.

"Well since you've asked me nicely." Freddie nodded, "Maybe I'll consider."

"You better." Punk said.

* * *

" _Fuck." AJ moaned, lying in her bed whilst Punk thrust into her, placing his hands on her thighs as he moved in and out. She never thought things would escalate so quickly, but as soon as he stepped in the house things just moved quickly. She didn't feel very careful when she was around him, and considering this was her first time, she was surprised at herself for how open she was to it all._

" _You're so fucking tight." Punk groaned, leaning down and kissing her neck as AJ rolled her head back. It was weird but such a right feeling. She felt safe with him, otherwise she wouldn't have taken her clothes off or even invited him. All those months of looking at one another, saying a quiet and flirtatious word, had finally built up. They spent hours in her room. She let him do things to her she wasn't aware of, she went with the flow and done things to him which she only assumed he would like. It became very hot very fast._

" _I'm gonna cum." She moaned, dragging her nails down his back, curving her hips in against his and wrapping her legs around him as he continued to move inside her, moving his hand down between them and stroking her clit as she bit her lip, "Oh my God." AJ moaned, looking up at him as he smirked, pressing his lips back against hers._

" _That's it. Let it go." Punk moaned, parting from the kiss as he worked her to an orgasm, watching her as she tensed around him, whispering his name in his ear as she bit down on his ear lobe, her body shaking against his as he smiled to himself._

" _Fuck." AJ whispered._

 _He didn't think she was the good girl next door, but she was the most perfect thing he'd ever gotten close to, and that scared him a little. It scared him how much they fit, and how connected they felt already._

" _Fuck, I'm gonna cum." Punk grunted shortly after, pulling out of her before and stroking himself as he spilled himself over her stomach as she watched, smiling up at him as she watched him cum._

 _He eventually collapsed down beside her, trying to find his breath as she smiled a little and turned to him._

" _You're sure that was your first?" He asked her with a slight chuckle. He almost couldn't keep up._

" _Yeah." AJ said modestly as he just smiled, "I didn't intend for this to happen." She admitted truthfully. In an ideal world she wanted to wait for the perfect time, but she couldn't help it, seeing someone pay her attention and actually enjoy being in her company was the biggest turn on she could have, and she liked him, she didn't feel like a complete stranger to him._

" _I didn't think you did." Punk laughed a little, pulling the sheets up over them as she smiled, "I'm glad it did though." He nodded as she looked up and nodded too._

" _Me too." She whispered, leaning up and pressing her lips against his softly, running her hand through his blonde hair as he kissed back deeply. She felt like she lost all her senses with him, but in a good way, and she already felt connected to him in a scarily strong way._

 _Just as she rolled back on top of him, her naked body pressing against his, she heard the front door open and immediately squirmed away from him._

" _Is that your parents?" He asked her as she nodded._

" _You… You can't be here." AJ shook her head, immediately snapping out of what seemed like a dream with him, into the reality of her extremely harsh parents who would have exploded at the sight of her in bed with not only just a boy, but a boy who called a criminal gang, his home and family._

" _Where do I go?" Punk asked, getting off the bed and shoving his clothes back on quickly._

" _Uh… closet, closet… go there." AJ pointed as Punk nodded, grabbing his t-shirt from the floor and wandering off to the corner of the room, stepping inside her closet and closing the door over as AJ got up, cleaning herself up the best she could and shoving on pyjamas, tossing her clothes and underwear into the wash basket as she jumped back into bed, straightening out the covers, grabbing some school books from the side cabinet just in time for her mother, Laurel, to walk into the room._

" _I thought you'd be sleeping." Laurel admitted, looking over at her daughter sitting up in bed whilst Punk stood quietly in the closet, looking through the gap between the doors._

" _I was just about to. Just… doing some studying." AJ nodded._

" _It smells stuffy in here." Laurel shook her head as AJ glanced over to the closet, "You not ever open a window?" She asked, walking over past the closet and to the window as she opened it up._

" _I… I didn't notice." AJ said, "How was your night?" She asked._

" _Yeah, it was ok." Laurel nodded, "Your dad got drunk and we ended up fighting so… what's new there?" She shrugged, "He'll probably pass out on the couch." She said as AJ nodded, "What is that doing in here?" She immediately asked, noticing a bottle of her perfume sitting on AJ's desk, "Why is this in here?" Laurel demanded to know._

" _Oh, I just… I was just trying some." AJ shrugged, keeping her glance on the closet every now and then._

" _Just trying?" Laurel laughed, "Do you know how expensive this perfume is? Too expensive for you to wrap your head around." She said, "Don't use it again, especially not when you're just studying in your room." She shook her head, taking the perfume, "Get to bed. It's already late enough." Her mother said, her brain ticking off into a different mood as AJ was used to by now._

" _Ok, goodnight mom." AJ nodded, watching as her mother just shook her head and left the bedroom, sighing to herself as she looked over at the closet, "You can come out." She whispered as Punk stepped out of the closet._

" _She's not a bright soul, is she?" Punk shook his head, finally breathing fresh air again as AJ just shook her head, getting off the bed._

" _She'll go into her room to bed now and my dad will be passed out on the couch." AJ nodded, "You should probably go."_

" _Yeah I think so." He laughed a little as she smiled, watching as he went to open up her door._

" _Wait." She whispered, closing it back over and leaning up, pressing her lips against his as he leaned against her door, placing his hands on her waist as he kissed back. He knew this wasn't just a one night stand. He wanted to repeat this night again and again and again. He wanted to know her, all of her and so did she. The connection was definitely there, they both knew it. He just had to make sure he left her house as quietly as he could._

* * *

 **A/N: Let me know what you think!**


	4. Gone Away

**Gone Away**

* * *

"Freddie Carraro Brooks to the principal's office." The principal of school called through the tannoy speaker whilst Freddie sat in class with her earphones in, trying to catch up on some sleep as she rested her head on her hand.

"Freddie." The teacher of the class said as her classmates looked at her, "Someone nudge her." He shook his head as the boy sitting beside her pulled her earphones out and nudged her arm.

"What?" Freddie turned to him angrily.

"You've been called to the principal's office." The teacher of the class said as Freddie looked around at everyone staring at her.

"Ok." Freddie said, sliding her books into her bag and getting up from the table, walking down the rows of seats and leaving the class immediately.

She made her way down the school and into the principal's officer which she wasn't unfamiliar with at this point. Her father was right, though, she knew the principal teacher, Miss Springer had a soft spot for her, for some reason she didn't know.

"You wanted to see me?" Freddie asked.

"Oh, good. You're here." Springer smiled, "Come in and take a seat." She nodded as Freddie sat down across from her desk, "I just wanted to talk to you about your grades."

"Why? What's wrong with them?" Freddie asked her.

"Nothing is wrong with them." She shook her head, "They're great actually. Your Spanish grade is the best in the class."

"Do I look like I got a white mom?" Freddie raised a brow, "I had a head start, technically it's unfair on all the other kids." She said as the principal smiled.

"Don't shrink yourself." She told her, "You want to study art at college, right?" The principal asked.

"Yeah, I do." Freddie nodded, "Why?"

"Well there's this exhibition happening soon, in a few weeks, an art exhibition obviously. It's something I'd really recommend you go to." She nodded.

"Cool, when and where?" Freddie asked.

"Well it's a school trip with the other art students." The principal said as Freddie's face dropped a little.

"I don't do school trips." Freddie shook her head, "I'll make my own way there."

"Freddie, I think… I think it could be good for you, bond with the people who like the same things as you, it could be a nice day, especially out of school which I know you'd appreciate." She nodded as Freddie looked across at her, "If you get any interviews for college, this could be a great thing to talk about." She nodded as Freddie sighed a little and nodded slowly.

"Ok, I'll go." Freddie nodded as the principal smiled.

"Ok, I'll mark your name down." She nodded happily.

"Is that everything?" Freddie asked.

"Yeah, that's it. Get back to class." She nodded as Freddie stood up and left her office.

* * *

" _When did you start living here?" AJ asked, lying in bed, this time in Punk's bedroom, one night after another date. They'd been dating for a few weeks and AJ felt like they were the only two that existed in the entire world. When she was with him, she just felt everything, all her problems disappeared._

" _When I was fifteen." Punk nodded, lying naked as she lay curled against him. She felt safe in his arms. She no longer sat alone at lunch, she'd been introduced to his friends, his family, and yet she still couldn't bring herself to tell her parents she was dating a boy, "Me and Dean have been friends since pre-school. It's like we just pointed to each other and made a deal to be best friends." He said as AJ smiled, "His family just… became my family, more of a family than my biological one was." He nodded, "I'm safe here, I got a home."_

" _They're nice people." AJ nodded, "I didn't really expect it." She admitted._

" _Why? Because they're in a gang?" He laughed a little, "Such negative connotations get put with us, it's ok." He nodded, "The main principle of it all is just to have a safe place for us to be together and call home. I mean we got homeless people with us, people who've been kicked out of their homes." She said, "That's what makes it so strong. It's not just a bunch of people meeting up to ruin people's lives." He said, "Don't step on someone's toes, they won't step back." He shrugged, "That's what I've been taught."_

" _I like that you're proud of it." She whispered._

" _It's my family." Punk nodded. He felt it more than just a high school fling. They got on like a house on fire. They shared similar interests, the same sense of humour, he felt like he'd been her best friend since the beginning of time, and the sex was on a whole other level, "What's the deal with your people?" He asked her._

" _My people?" AJ laughed a little._

" _Yeah." Punk said, "I know you still haven't told them about us."_

" _Trust me, it's better they don't know." AJ said, "They're just… different." She shook her head, "My mom is nuts. Goes from hot to cold within a second. My dad drinks too much, barely speaks to me. They're so programmed into having a perfect life… perfect daughter." She shook her head, "It's tiring." She admitted truthfully._

" _Not a good relationship, huh?" He asked her._

" _Not really." She whispered, resting her head on his chest, "I… I walk into this house, your dad says hi to me and gives me a hug… like, I don't think my dad has hugged me once this year." She said, surprise in her own voice, "And people are so quick to judge you, your family, what you're a part of but… at least you're all honest with each other, and love each other." She shook her head as Punk smiled._

" _You know if you ever need somewhere to go." Punk looked down at her as she looked up, "This space beside me is yours." He nodded as she smiled a little._

" _Then my mom would really be suspicious. She knows I got no girl friends." She said._

" _Who cares what she thinks? Shame on her for not being happy for you anyway." Punk said as she smiled. He was everything she needed. He was a best friend, someone to talk to, someone to hold her when she felt small. She felt happy with him._

" _You'll get fed up of me." She whispered, rolling over on top of him, pressing her naked body against his as she reached for him, stroking him up and down a few times before taking him inside her, lowering herself down on him and moaning as he watched her. He could see the hurt in her eyes, the loneliness, the damage… the strength. To him, she was the most amazing person he'd ever met and their relationship felt like it could never tarnish, even this early into it. There was a level of trust and safety that they both knew was rare to find._

" _I'd never get fed up of you." Punk whispered as she smiled, moving her hips up and down on him, pressing her lips against his as he kissed her back passionately, running his hands down her body and to her waist where her hips moved up and down at a fast pace, looking down as his length disappeared in and out of her._

" _Yeah, you like that?" She whispered in his ear, kissing his neck as Punk groaned, gripping her hips as she moaned out, feeling him thrust up into her. His way of life, his family, him, it was pulling her further and further in. Since she first laid eyes on him months ago, she'd wanted this, she wanted somewhere to call home, someone to love._

* * *

"April, I filed these notes for you and put them on your desk." A woman smiled walking into an office as AJ looked up, taking her glasses off.

"Thanks, Marie." AJ smiled pleasantly, no longer an innocent child with so much problems, chaos and angst around her, "Did you reschedule my 1 o'clock?" She asked her secretary.

"I did. She's coming in tomorrow now at 12." Marie nodded.

"Great. Thank you." AJ smiled.

"Oh, and your dad is here to see you. Shall I send him in?" She asked as AJ stiffened a little, nothing had changed there. She still got the same hollow feeling in her chest when she was told her father had come to visit her.

"Yeah, send him through." AJ nodded as Marie smiled and left the office whilst her father eventually walked in.

"Nice to see you, mija." Her father, Ricardo, or to most, Rick said.

"Dad." AJ nodded.

"Busy at work?" Rick asked sarcastically as he looked around the empty office.

"I had a cancellation." AJ said, "You can… sit down and chat to me if you want, though. That is what you think I do, isn't it? Chat to people" She looked across at him.

"Well it is. Call yourself a psychological therapist all you want." Rick scoffed, "All you do is listen to people complain about their miserable lives." He said, "Doesn't take skill."

"I guess it doesn't." AJ nodded, "Can I help you with anything in particular?" She asked him tiredly.

"No I just wanted to check in." Rick said, "Your mom misses seeing you."

"Does she?" AJ scoffed.

"Yes, April. She does." Rick nodded, "I don't know what's wrong with you, if it's the fact you're still bitter from all those terrible mistakes you made, but you need to get over it." He looked across at her as AJ looked over at him, "And claiming that your mother is… is bipolar like you is ridiculous. Your mother is fine."

"You're in denial." AJ shook her head. She was beyond the point of fighting or getting angry, she was just fed up.

"No, you just don't want to feel alone. Like you always haven't." Rick said.

"Mom is bipolar, dad. She is. And it makes no difference to my life if you believe it or not. I'm not concerned about you and your feelings. I take care of myself." She said, "So, whatever." She shook her head.

"You just want someone to blame for everything and it's me and your mother who you blame for your own mistakes and failures."

"You made me leave my baby." AJ looked across at him, narrowing her eyes, "You did that. You made me leave my life, my boyfriend, my family-"

"And you complied because you knew it was the best thing for you. For your mental state." Rick nodded, "And you… I wasn't having you around those people. Bad people."

"They weren't bad people. They showed me more love than you ever did." AJ said.

"Enough." Rick hissed as AJ stared across at him, "Continue to blame me if it makes you feel better, but I saved you from a lifetime of problems, don't you forget that. You weren't going to fit in with those people and play house. You were a child. You had no idea what you were doing." He said.

"I did." AJ nodded, "You just didn't give me a chance."

"You're damn right I didn't." Rick said, "And you're better off for it." He nodded, "You're lucky we didn't put you in a home for troubled youths." He said as AJ shook her head.

"The only troubled ones here are you and mom. You… you practically took my own baby away from me."

"No. You left her. That's what everyone thinks. And everyone is better off for it. Do you get that?" Rick said as AJ just stayed silent, she was so used to their words in her head that sometimes she did believe what they said to her.

"Can you go now? I have to do some work." AJ told him as Rick nodded.

"Your mother wants to see you so… stop by at some point when you get off work." Rick said, "And lose the attitude. You know how it makes her." He said as AJ watched him leave her office, sitting back against the chair and sighing to herself.


	5. Avoid It

**Avoid It**

* * *

"Did you tell my principal teacher to persuade me into going out on a school trip?" Freddie asked, getting into the car after school where her father picked her up.

"No." Punk scoffed, "I know you hate school trips."

"Well I'm going on one." Freddie shook her head, "Some art exhibition. I thought it smelled like your doing." She admitted.

"No. I told you, that principal teacher likes you. You'd probably be at another school if it was anybody else." Punk said, "You might have fun. At least it's something you're interested in. You could talk about it if you go for any interviews." He said.

"That's what she said." Freddie said, "You do any cool tats today?" She asked her father.

"Done a portrait." Punk nodded, "Of a dog." He said as Freddie rolled her eyes.

"Who would get a portrait of their dog tattooed onto them?" Freddie scoffed.

"A lot of people. You'd be surprised." Punk laughed a little, taking a different turn on the road as Freddie noticed.

"Where we going?" She asked him.

"To see Julio and Toni." Punk told her as she nodded. Just like Punk regarded them as his parents, Freddie regarded them as her grandparents. They were very much in her life. She had fond memories of staying over with them, getting spoiled by them. It was like a second home for her.

"You've not been at the Owl Hole in a while actually." Freddie realised, "You fell out with them?" She teased.

"No." Punk said, "I've just been busy. Things aren't-"

"The way they used to be." Freddie finished for him, "Yeah, I know. But it's still your life, right? I mean… I'm owed my crow tattoo real soon." She said as Punk shook his head.

"You're not getting any tattoo." Punk told her.

"But you can cover your full upper body?" Freddie asked.

"Yeah, I can." Punk nodded.

"Did mom have the tattoo?" Freddie asked quietly as Punk kept his eyes on the road.

"Yeah." Punk said bluntly, "We'll probably get food here too, you cool with that?" He asked, changing the subject quickly as Freddie just nodded.

"Yeah, that's fine." Freddie said. She didn't question a lot about her mother. She knew about certain things, but it wasn't something she really liked to talk about. A part of her insecurities believed that her mother didn't want her. That's what everyone said. The whispers when she was a little girl, she heard them all, and she wondered what she had done so wrong for her mother not to want her. She was better off not thinking about it.

They parked outside the fairly large house and headed on in. Julio was a business man. Not a shady business man. He kept his work very separate from his gang life. Atonette, or Toni to most people close to her, owned a hair salon just five minutes away. They were successful and professional people with so much love in their home, but with a very strong code to live by.

"Oh, hey honey." Toni smiled immediately as she saw Freddie walk into the house.

"Hey." Freddie smiled, giving her a warm hug as Punk followed behind.

"Hi, son." Toni smiled, giving Punk a hug after her, squeezing him tightly.

"You alright, ma?" Punk asked her.

"Oh, yeah. We're good." Toni nodded, "Dad is out at a meeting and Dean and Kate are coming over in about an hour so… you'll stay and have dinner with us, yeah?" She asked.

"Yeah, of course." Punk nodded, kissing her head as Toni smiled. He really was just like a son to them, and they'd watched him struggle with raising Freddie, especially in the beginning, there was a time where they even talked about taking custody of her and raising her on their own, but he never budged. He was determined to be there for his daughter and he was, with the help and support of his family.

"What's for dinner then?" Freddie asked, taking her khaki denim jacket off and throwing it on the couch.

"We do Chinese on Friday." Toni smiled to her as Freddie nodded, "Go, go watch TV and put your feet up. Poor girl been at school all day." She shook her head as Freddie smiled, "I heard you were scrapping again?" She said as Freddie collapsed down on the couch.

"Yeah, a little." Freddie nodded.

"Hey, no one likes a bully." Toni nodded, "I hope your dad hasn't gave you a hard time." She turned to Punk.

"Considering she wants to go to college and probably won't get in if she gets excluded from a school, yeah, I've gave her a hard time." Punk nodded.

"Don't worry, Toni. It goes in one ear and out the other." Freddie waved her hand.

"My girl." Toni smiled. She never had a daughter and so she had a very close bond with Freddie.

She headed on into the kitchen as Punk followed behind, leaving Freddie in the living room where she made herself at home, lying up on the couch and putting the TV on.

"How have you been?" Toni asked him, switching the kettle on as Punk stood in the kitchen.

"Yeah, I've been ok." Punk nodded, "You?"

"Yeah, fine. Missed you the other day at the owl. Not like you to not be there." Toni said discreately.

"I was helping Fred with an art project." Punk said, "I explained to dad."

"He said." Toni said, "Hey, we're not mad. Trust me, I know what it's like to have a teenage kid, not easy." She nodded, "I just don't want you to… isolate yourself from everything." She said as Punk just nodded, "Soon enough… Freddie will be coming with you. You joined when you were just fifteen."

"I want it to be her choice. She doesn't need to come into that world just because she thinks she has to." Punk said.

"Of course." Toni nodded, "But she's family. You just don't want her to get the tattoo." She laughed a little.

"Well yes, there's that too." Punk smiled.

"I saw those… north side assholes this morning." She said, pouring the cup of coffee whilst Punk sat down at the large kitchen table.

"Which ones?" Punk chuckled a little.

" _Her_ mother and father." Toni looked at him as Punk just nodded, "Walking around like the king and queen. I know what I would do with them." She hissed, muttering under her breath as Punk smiled a little.

"She was the one who left. Not them. It wasn't their problem." Punk shrugged.

"They were in her ear the entire time. Ever since they found out she was dating you. Treated you like you were a disease and that's… that's unacceptable, Phil. We've faced discrimination against the north for years. Any minor or major crime that goes on, murder, robbery, vandalism, everyone points the finger at us. We're just the brunt of an unjust society and I won't have it." Toni said.

"Sometimes it is us, though." Punk laughed a little.

"Phil, we never step on anything that hasn't already stepped on us, you know that." Toni said.

"I know." Punk nodded, "Ravens have been haunting this town for decades, people just have the fear. It's a good peace of mind when you can put blame on someone, that's just what we are now." He said, "April had the right idea to leave."

"No, she didn't. This is home. Family. She was family and she betrayed that." Toni said.

"She was eighteen, pregnant and scared." Punk said, "Gotta take it from her perspective."

"She had the support. It's not like she was a stranger, Phil. You were in a relationship. You… loved her, I presume-"

"Of course I did." Punk said, "But she's not here. I'm fed up of people discretely talking about her to me. That's why I try and avoid the Owl. The first thing they say is if I've saw her, spoke to her, no I haven't. I haven't saw her in seventeen years, and I don't wanna talk about her." He said angrily as Toni turned to him.

"I'm sorry." Toni sighed, "I just think people… well they're shocked, still to this day. We never turn our back on each other. And everyone loved April so much. She really fit in-"

"Yeah, well I thought so too." Punk said, "She had… other ideas obviously." He shrugged, "She's probably moved on, got a husband, maybe some kids-"

"Don't torture yourself, Phil." Toni shook her head.

"I'm not." Punk said, "It's the truth. And now my daughter thinks her mom doesn't love her… didn't want her. And I know that feeling and it sucks." He shook his head.

"You love her. She has you." Toni said, "She won't forget that. She's a… tough girl. Fearless. You moulded her into that. So don't… don't shrink yourself. You're a great father. You always have been. April's decision, was April's decision." She shrugged, "If I tell people to stop asking you about her, will you start coming back to meetings at the Owl?" She asked him.

"Maybe." Punk nodded with a smile just as they heard the front door opened.

Dean walked in with his long-term girlfriend Kate, who was also part of their gang, "Hey, it's the Fredster." Dean smiled, messing Freddie's hair as he walked by the couch as she tried to slap him on his way by.

"Jerk." Freddie shook her head as Dean and Kate walked into the kitchen.

"Staying for dinner are we?" Dean asked Punk, embracing his brother as Kate followed.

"Yeah, free food calls on me." Punk said, sitting back down at the table whilst they began to set the table to have dinner together.

* * *

" _So this is the owl hole." Punk said, walking into the bar as AJ followed behind, looking around. The place seemed very seedy from where she was standing but she knew it probably wasn't as bad as it felt. There were snooker tables dotted around as well as darts boards, a strip of bar area, tables dotted around as well as booths in the back, and it had very dim lights._

" _This is where you do what?" AJ asked him._

" _This is where we play snooker, have a gossip, you know." He nudged her as she smiled, "Not where we plot our next murder victim." He winked as she just smiled. They'd been dating for a few months. She felt oddly welcomed into his family. She still hadn't told her mother or father anything about her relationship. She knew what they were like and really didn't know what they would do if they found out, so it felt very much forbidden._

 _They'd steal kisses in school, skip class to go home and spend the day in bed, go for breakfast dates instead of dinner because her mother and father would have noticed. The level of secrecy was actually something she liked. She felt like she was doing something wrong, but it felt incredibly right._

" _Why is it called the Ravens?" AJ asked, sliding into a booth with him. Their chemistry wasn't just undeniably great on a physical and sexual level, but they got each other emotionally, she opened up to him, he opened up to her, and she just felt completely lost in him._

" _Honestly, that's just been the name of it. I've heard stories like… back in the old days when the group was running, there always used to be a bunch of ravens outside the club, like a whole bunch of them." He said, "I don't know if that's where it came from." He said, "Obviously we all have our… crow raven type tattoos, kinda makes sense I guess."_

" _It's nicer than I thought it'd be." AJ admitted to him, "It feels safe in here."_

" _Nothing usually goes down. There used to be mad riots twenty odd years ago. South and North as usual." Punk shrugged, "This place used to be like a fucking war zone but… it's calmed down a lot. It is safe." He nodded to her._

" _I like it." AJ smiled to him, tapping his foot under the table as he smiled back, "Must feel nice to be part of something." She nodded, "You hear about these gangs but you don't really know what it's like-"_

" _Now you do." Punk nodded as she smiled, "It's not all bad."_

" _No, it's not." AJ agreed, "It's just like having a sense of belonging. Which is… not something I'm used to." She admitted truthfully, "Like sitting having dinner with your family, actually being acknowledged, it's… kinda nice." She admitted._

" _Right? Who would have thought?" He smiled, "You know you don't have to put up with your parents… just because they're your parents. I used to think that but… if you're not getting something, support, love from somewhere, you'll find it where other people will appreciate you more." He nodded, "I… appreciate you." He nodded to her. He was too young to admit that he felt like he'd found that one, but they were just so similar, and they could talk about anything and everything. He just felt like she was part of his home now._

" _They would… they'd do something drastic, you don't know them." AJ shook her head._

" _There's two of them. If you're with me, that means you're with this family, this group… I doubt they'd try anything." Punk said._

" _You don't know them." AJ reminded him._

" _No, but I know they don't deserve you." He shook his head, standing up and sliding into the same seat as her under the dim light. Light chatter heard from around the other tables, "I'm not gonna… put pressure on you, I'm still gonna want you whether you adapt to the way I live or not… but… I love you, and you deserve better." He nodded as she looked up at him, sitting close to him as she smiled. He made her feel special and wanted and it was a feeling she had grown to love._

" _I love you." She whispered and nodded. She'd never been more sure of something in her entire life. She reached up and pressed her lips against his as he kissed back, making out with one another in the dim booth._


	6. Moms

**Moms**

* * *

"Mom?" AJ called as she walked into her parent's house, closing the door behind her.

"In here." Laurel called from the living room as AJ took her coat off and walked on into the living room, "Nice to know you only come to see me when dad tells you to." Laurel said as AJ shook her head.

"I've just been busy, mom." AJ told her, "I do work. I-I have things to do." She nodded as Laurel shook her head, "How have you been?" She asked.

"I've been fine." Laurel nodded, "What about you? How have you been?" She asked. Unlike AJ, she was in denial of her mental health problems. She refused to believe she was bipolar like her daughter, and instead her way of dealing with it was taking it out on AJ, the way she always done.

"I've been ok." AJ nodded, "Tired." She admitted truthfully.

"Your father said you looked tired." Laurel nodded, "Have you been seeing someone?" She wondered.

"No." AJ shook her head, "I've not been seeing anyone." She said, "I would tell you if I was-"

"Like you did the last time?" Laurel turned to her.

"I was a teenager, and clearly I had valid reasons for not telling you." AJ nodded.

"So you say." Laurel shook her head as AJ sat down on the couch beside her yet keeping her distance. If she could have gotten away without having to visit her parents she would, but she knew she would just be harassed by them eventually, "I saw that girl… Freddie." Laurel shook her head, "Stupid name."

"What do you mean?" AJ shook her head.

"She was going into that house… with him." Laurel said, refusing to acknowledge any of the people by name, the people she believed had ruined her daughter.

"I-Is she ok?" AJ asked.

"Oh, she was fine. She's a beautiful young girl." Laurel nodded, "Just like you were before you let that boy defile you." She shook her head.

"Mom." AJ sighed, "I'm tired of hearing the same thing over and over again, from you and dad. You… got what you wanted, I went away. You won in the end so… I think it's only fair that you do as I ask now. I missed my daughter's life-"

"You agreed with us-"

"I was mentally unwell with a baby at eighteen. I was… I didn't know what day it was, or who I was. You took advantage of that." She said, "And you drove me away. You took me away from my baby. You took that chance from me." AJ said as Laurel shook her head.

"That family, that south side is no good. They would have ruined you. You thought they were being nice but they're not. They're not good people."

"They were." AJ defended, "They were good to me. Phil was good to me." She said quietly as Laurel just shook her head. Some days she wanted to argue about it, some days she didn't want to even so much as think about it.

"We did you a favour, April." Laurel said, "You weren't meant for that kind of life. I mean… my own daughter, in a gang, pregnant at eighteen, mentally unstable… you needed out of it to get better, me and your father were the only ones who were being realistic."

"No, you just wanted me away from them." AJ said, "And now my daughter is seventeen and I… I don't know anything about her. I… You took me away from Phil, I never got to say goodbye to either of them." She said, "And they think I left on my own which is… the worst part." She shook her head tearfully, "They think I just gave up and left."

"Well it's what they deserve." Laurel said, "Clearly you weren't needed. Now you can look at settling down down, get yourself a nice man, with a good job, good stability for you." She nodded, "You were just a child back then, April. That boy took advantage of you."

"No he didn't. He was my boyfriend for almost two years before I had the baby." AJ said, "And we had the support. I was mentally unwell regardless of my pregnancy." She reminded her mother, "It just all… hit me at once I guess."

"Yes and me and your father helped you and got you out of the situation. Look how much healthier you are now." Laurel said.

"I'm alone." AJ shook her head, "I don't have any friends or people to talk to." She said.

"You can talk to me." Laurel turned to her.

"Yeah, because that always helps me." AJ shook her head sarcastically.

"Chiquita I think you should be a little more grateful of what me and your father did for you. We got you to safety, we paid for you to go to university to get that psychology degree. We paid for you apartment-"

"Yeah to keep me away." AJ said, "They weren't bad people, mom. They were nice, and misunderstood. They didn't hurt anyone unless they were hurt first. They were a family, I was part of their family."

"You are part of this family, young lady." Laurel said.

"I'm not a kid anymore." AJ stood up, "Maybe you were able to manipulate little unwell, pregnant AJ back then, but not now." AJ shook her head.

"So then why haven't you gone to see her then? We're not stopping you now." Laurel smirked, knowing fine well that her daughter had developed insecurities and fears about her own daughter.

"You know why." AJ said.

"Because you're better off without them, that's why." Laurel answered for her, "Now lower your voice and sit back down." She demanded as AJ shook her head, folding her arms and sitting back down on the couch, "You'll stay for dinner now." She nodded as AJ sighed, placing her hand on her forehead.

* * *

"Hi Mr Brooks." Jenny smiled nervously as Lucy stood beside as Punk answered the apartment door.

"Hey." Punk smiled to the familiar faces. He knew they were just about the only friends Freddie had. She'd been friends with them since a young age and he knew their parents from the girls coming over and Freddie going to their house. All part of the parenting experiences of course, "Freddie never even told me you girls were coming I would have bought you guys some food." She told them, letting them into the apartment and closing the door over behind them.

"We brought some stuff it's ok." Jenny held up the bag with snacks in it, "New ink?" She pointed to his hand as they both stood with him for as long as they could.

"Oh, no. That's really old that one." Punk nodded, "Haven't had a new one for a few years now." He admitted.

"Do you do your own tattoos?" Lucy asked him.

"I've done a few but most of them other tattooists have done them." He nodded as Freddie opened her room door and looked over.

"Excuse me?" Freddie said, "My room is over here." She reminded her friends who looked over, having forgotten where they were for a second.

"Oh, right." Jenny nodded, "Nice talking to you Mr Brooks."

"Yeah." Lucy agreed, wandering over to Freddie's room, the door shutting behind them as Freddie shook her head.

"He's not an attraction." Freddie shook her head.

"He's just so hot." Jenny moaned, collapsing on Freddie's bed, "Like honestly, if he wasn't your dad, and I was over the age of eighteen, and he hit me up… I would." She nodded.

"Well… he is my dad, and you're not eighteen, and… just stop it." Freddie shook her head, "How would you like it if I started talking about your dads like that? Every time I walk into your house and come into your room I'm gonna tell you how much I wanna give your dad a handjob." Freddie nodded as Jenny rolled her eyes.

"You don't though." Jenny laughed, "I'd give your dad a handjob, no questions asked." She said as Lucy laughed and nodded.

"You can both leave if you're gonna be this way." Freddie shook her head, getting under the bed covers as they laughed a little.

"We're just teasing." Jenny smiled, climbing up the bed and getting in beside her as Lucy lay at the bottom, "But like… does he date? I'm just asking as a general question?" She said.

"He did a little but… now he just has like one date, for one reason, and that's him for a few weeks. He's still hung up on my mom I think." Freddie shrugged, "What movie?" She asked them, pulling out some horror movies from her bedside table.

"Your mom?" Lucy said, folding her legs in a basket and opening up the chips and dip they had brought.

"Yeah the bitch who left us." Freddie said, "He just… never talks about her. I get the impression I never got the full story of what happened." She shrugged, "Like I'm waiting on him telling me she died in childbirth or something… I feel like that would be easier instead of knowing she's out there somewhere… not that I need a mom." She reminded them as they nodded.

"Was she in with the gang too?" Jenny asked her. The gang was still very well known in the south, and like Toni said, they had become the victim of blame in the city, and Freddie was known in school for being born into the famous gang.

"She was, yeah." Freddie said, "I feel like an idiot because I don't actually know much about her. I've saw pictures. A few."

"Cute?" Lucy asked, "She'd have to be to get with your fine ass dad." She teased as Freddie rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, she's pretty." Freddie admitted truthfully, "I don't know, I just feel like she's this taboo thing that no one is allowed to mention. But I know my dad well enough and I feel like he… he still thinks about her. I would have thought that any normal person would move on. I could have had a step-mom at like… age 4 and I wouldn't have known any different, but it's… it's like he's just broken." She shrugged.

"Wouldn't you ask him about it?" Jenny asked her.

"I just get shut down. From everyone. I ask my gran too and she just tells me it's not worth talking about." Freddie shrugged, "I used to think it was me. I was the problem. She left because she didn't want me. I mean… they were kids."

"I'm sure that's not the case." Lucy said, "Like you said, you don't know what happened." She said.

"Yeah and I… I don't want to I don't think. It'd be good for my mind but… what's it gonna do for me? She's still not here. And… she'll always be the woman who walked out on me. I don't need a mom." Freddie shook her head, "I never have." She told them bluntly as they just nodded, "Ok, pick a movie." She told them as they smiled and looked through their choices as Freddie reached for the other candy.

She didn't open up a lot to anyone, but she trusted her two best friends, and was able to talk to them over the years. It hadn't always been easy.

* * *

 **A/N: I know it may seem AJ is portrayed as the bad guy but I didn't want it to be Punk who had left because I feel like I've done that a few times and I wanted to keep it different. Also, there's more to the story, we're only just getting things started up so don't go judging my girl just yet please! Let me know what you think.**


	7. You Don't Know

**You Don't Know**

* * *

" _Hey, AJ. Could you give me a hand in with these groceries?" Julio asked, sticking his head in the living room where he only saw one of his son's girlfriends sitting watching TV. She was pretty much around the house all the time. It wasn't an issue, they welcomed family in with open arms._

" _Sure." AJ smiled, getting off the couch and wandering on out into the hallway._

" _Where is Phil?" Julio asked her as she picked up a few bags. She was never under the impression they were some horrid criminal family, but she was surprised at how completely normal they were. They just had stricter morals and beliefs about sticking together, and taking those in who didn't have a home, building their own home. She liked it. She felt safe with all of them and they were becoming a family to her._

" _He is with Dean picking up the car from the garage I think." AJ said, "He told me just to come over I… I hope that's ok." AJ said, starting to get worried incase her invites only meant when she was with Punk._

" _Oh, of course it is." Julio said, "You're family." He said, "Soon we'll get you your own key." He said as AJ raised her eyebrows, following him back out to get more of the groceries, "So what is it you want to do? Phil tells me you're a great artist." He said._

" _I don't know about great." AJ smiled modestly, "But… yeah I like the art. It's nice to disappear in it but… I don't think I'd get a career out of it." She said, "I'm not sure what I want to do." She said truthfully, "My mom wants me to be a doctor." She rolled her eyes._

" _Oh, mom's always just want the best for us, right?" Julio said as AJ nodded, "Not to be… a Mr Know It All." He said, pausing in the kitchen as AJ turned around, "But… well I know who your parents are, they were in high school with me and Toni. And I know a set-up like this, you and Phil, wouldn't exactly be something they'd be all for." He said as AJ nodded._

" _I haven't told them." AJ shook her head, "They think I'm at study groups when I'm here." She nodded, "It seems better not to say anything." She admitted._

" _Maybe." Julio nodded, "But… if they can't be happy for you, accepting of you, then they… well they don't deserve you quite frankly." Julio said, "Maybe it's time you just let them know what's going on."_

" _I don't know what they'd do." AJ admitted, "They can be pretty reckless and… extreme." AJ admitted._

" _You have a safe place to come to here, if thinks get too difficult, you know that, right?" Julio said._

" _Yeah, Phil tells me all the time. I just… don't wanna intrude." She said._

" _Nonsense." Julio waved his hand, "All Phil has done is talk about you for the past year." He said, "AJ this, AJ that." He said as AJ smiled, "He's in it for you, and you've already met the family, all of it I mean." He said as AJ smiled and nodded, "You're practically one of us." He nodded as she looked up at him and smiled._

" _That's… nice of you to say." AJ smiled._

" _Well it's true." Julio nodded, "But you should tell your parents. Doesn't have to be a big thing, and if they freak out, just give them some space." He said as AJ nodded._

" _Yeah." AJ smiled, "Thank you."_

" _Any time." Julio waved his hand as AJ smiled._

* * *

" _Your dad thinks I should tell my parents about this." AJ said, looking up at Punk in bed later that night. When she stayed the night with Punk, she told her parents she was at study groups and that she'd befriended a girl who she sometimes stayed with. She knew her parents wouldn't believe she was bold enough to be staying with a boy, so they didn't think twice._

" _I think you should too." Punk nodded, "I mean, what's the worst that happens? They tell you to get out, you come here, let it all blow over for a few days and then talk to them." He said._

" _I don't think they'll wanna talk to me after this." She whispered._

" _Oh, c'mon. We're talking about… area here. It's not the end of the world." He shook his head._

" _To pretentious people like them, it is." AJ said, "They don't see you the way I do." She said, "Your dad said they were gonna get me a key for the house." She smiled, looking back up at him as he nodded._

" _Well there you go." Punk laughed, they'd almost been dating for a year and it seemed to go by so fast. Probably because she was having the time of her life with a boy she really had genuine feelings for, and for once she didn't feel invisible in the corner of the room. She knew that her parents wouldn't be happy that she'd kept them from it for so long but she had her reasons._

 _She got to know all of them. Their stomping ground, The whole family. She'd laughed at family dinner with them, found a best friend in Kate, Dean's girlfriend who she never would have thought twice about talking to in school. She just felt like she had a place to call her home now. Phil was her home. And if her parents didn't like that, she really didn't care._

" _Feels like I have a home here." She whispered as he looked down at her, watching her as she looked up._

" _You do." Punk nodded. He couldn't describe it. She just meant so much. They were so young and it was very clear that things were still new to them, but the feelings were there, no question about it._

" _Did your parents go out?" AJ whispered with a smirk, biting her lip as Punk smiled._

" _They did." He nodded, watching as she disappeared under the sheets crawling down his body and pulling his boxers down as he pushed the sheets down so he could see her, watching her as she began stroking him up and down, smirking to him seductively before wrapping her mouth around him, bobbing her head up and down on him as he moaned to himself._

" _Fuck." Punk groaned to himself quietly, closing his eyes and re-opening them, placing his hand on her head as he felt her go up and down, releasing him to stroke him, only to use her mouth on him again. They knew each other so well, physically and emotionally, and he was starting to realise that life would feel extremely odd without her now._

" _You like that?" She whispered softly, using her hand to stroke him up and down as he nodded, looking on at her, watching as she knelt back for a second and stripped her t-shirt off as he stared at her naked body, smiling as she pushed her panties off and threw them on the floor._

 _He then watched her as she used her mouth back on him, rolling her tongue up and down his length, taking him all the way in and out, doing everything he could to please her as best she could. He made her feel wild. He made her lose all sense of control and she liked that._

" _Come here." Punk whispered as she released him from her mouth, climbing up his body, feeling his length touch against her quivering folds as she smiled, pressing her mouth against his as he kissed her back, wrapping his hand by her neck, his thumb caressing her cheek back and forth as he kissed back deeply._

" _I'm so wet." AJ whispered in his ear as the kiss broke apart and he kissed her neck._

" _Move up." Punk said, bringing her further up his body to the point where she was straddling his face, feeling his arms locked around her legs as she placed a hand on the headboard of the bed, feeling his tongue divide the centre of her folds, playing with her clit as she rolled her head back, feeling the tips of her hair touch her back, knuckles going white as she grabbed the headboard._

" _Fuck." AJ moaned, looking down as she covered her face, smiling as she felt his tongue flick against her clit, to him using his entire mouth on her, "Oh, yeah… that feels so good." She whispered, "You're gonna make me cum." She moaned as she began to feel herself reach that peak, leaning against the headboard whilst his mouth attacked her viciously, "Right there, baby." AJ moaned, feeling his warm, wet tongue move against her sensitive area in all the right places, "Phil, Oh my… Oh my God." She moaned out extremely loud, gripping the headboard as she felt her whole body rise to its orgasm, shuddering as she reached that release, gasping as her eyes rolled back into her head, feeling him lap up the mess she'd made very quickly._

 _She slowly moved back down his body, feeling drugged out and numb as he chuckled a little when he saw her. He loved making her feel good, she looked so beautiful when she scrunched up her face, closed her eyes and whispered his name._

" _Are you ok?" He laughed a little, kissing the corner of her mouth and down her throat as she nodded._

" _Yeah." She gasped, "Just… do that whenever you want." She nodded as he smirked._

" _Any time, any place. Just come sit on me." He nodded as she smiled, pressing her lips against his as he kissed back, tasting herself on his tongue as she shuffled down his body a little more, feeling him guide his length inside her as she moaned into the kiss._

" _Oh, fuck." AJ broke the kiss, feeling him roll them over so he was on top as she lay on her back, watching as he kissed down her chest and stomach, straightening back up and beginning to move in and out of her, parting her legs as he slid back and forth into her, leaning down and kissing her neck as she moaned, "Mmm… harder." She whispered as she heard him chuckle a little, a chuckle that made her insides tighten as well as all the other wonderful feelings she was feeling._

 _She then felt as he began to thrust into her much harder moaning out loudly as she rolled her head back and clawed at his shoulders, "Harder?" Punk teased in her ear as she smiled, already losing her breath as she clung to him and let herself escape into him._

* * *

 _Two days later…_

" _Knock at the door, probably April." Dean said, walking into the living room where Punk was sitting on the couch._

" _Why didn't you just fucking answer it, idiot?" Punk shook his head, standing up from the couch, shoving Dean who shoved him back as he walked out of the living room and into the hallway, opening up the front door, his heart sinking as he saw AJ standing with tears in her eyes and a red mark on her face._

" _April." Punk shook his head, immediately pulling her into the house, "What happened? What's wrong?" He asked worriedly. Seeing her cry was like being repeatedly kicked in the face. It inflicted real pain on him._

" _I-I told my parents." AJ cried as Dean walked out from the living room and looked over._

" _Hey, what's going on?" Dean asked worriedly._

" _It's ok." Punk assured him, nodding for him to go back into the living room, "Here, come here." Punk sighed, wrapping his arms around her as she latched onto him tightly. She needed his arms, his body since the second she told her parents, "What'd they do?" Punk asked, rubbing her back gently as she relaxed against him and let her tears run dry._

" _My mom slapped me." AJ said quietly as Punk shook his head, "And my dad told me to… to not come back." She told him, which seemed to be the worst that they discussed._

" _Alright, it's gonna be ok." Punk whispered, kissing her head and embracing her tightly, "It's all gonna be alright."_

* * *

 **A/N: More to come! I saw a couple of reviews saying about the Riverdale similarities and honestly, I didn't even mean to make it so similar. I really wanted the focus more to be more on Freddie and why AJ left (got forced to leave) but the gang input was just to add another little part to the story and the whole north and south side was just me thinking of something to make AJ's parents disapprove of Punk, lol! It doesn't surprise me that a lot of my writing does come from little snippets of shows I've watched but the actual plot around Freddie with AJ leaving and her evil parents doesn't have any Riverdale ties so, hopefully it'll be something new and exciting for you guys to read! Thanks for the awesome reviews though! Keep them coming.**


	8. Being A Dad

**Being A Dad**

* * *

" _They-They said I shouldn't be around_ _you and that I'm… I'm ruining my life." AJ whispered, sitting on the bottom of the stairs as Punk stood across from her, "And my dad said I just want attention." She shook her head as Punk grunted a little, watching as the front door opened behind him where Julio and Toni walked in, immediately noticing AJ upset but trying to dry her tears._

" _What happened?" Julio wondered worriedly._

" _Sweetheart, are you alright?" Toni asked sadly._

" _She told her mom and dad." Punk turned to Julio, "They kicked her out." He said as Julio and Toni shook their heads. They weren't surprised, most people kept to their area in Chicago, north were incredibly proud of their good reputation, so this no doubt was devastating, especially for people like Laurel and Rick, whom they both knew from high school._

" _April, you stay here now, for as long as you need or like." Julio nodded, "Until your parents calm down." He said._

" _I don't think they ever will." AJ shook her head, "They looked like they wanted to kill me." AJ said as Punk folded his arms._

" _Hey, sweetie. They are not worth your time if they behave like this. If they can't be happy with you seeing Phil. You're both teenagers for crying out loud. It's not like you're getting married any time soon." She said, "Maybe they'll calm down in a few days but… for the mean time, you stay here, ok?" She said as AJ nodded and smiled._

" _Thank you." AJ nodded to them both. They were the kindest people she knew yet their reputation seemed to paint them in such a dark light that she couldn't understand. They were pretty laid back parents of course. They let her sleep in the same bed with Punk, they let Dean drink and smoke even though he was underage, but they also had a great deal of love for their family and that was very proudly shown._

" _Come on. Let's… let's get you upstairs." Punk nodded to AJ._

" _If you need anything let us know." Julio said as AJ nodded, standing up and heading upstairs as Punk followed her, pausing when Julio pulled him back._

" _If she needs to live here, that's ok." Julio said, "She's welcome. Make sure she knows that."_

" _I will." Punk nodded, "Thanks." He said, walking on upstairs to catch up with AJ, walking into his bedroom and waiting for her to come out of the bathroom, sitting down on the edge of his bed and waiting. He felt bad for AJ, incredibly bad, not just because he hated to see her upset but he knew what it was like to not get that love or support from your biological parents, that's why he believed they got each other on such an emotional level. He just wished it didn't have to be so difficult for her._

" _You ok?" Punk asked, watching her walk into the bedroom and shut the door over behind her._

" _I'm ok." AJ nodded, "I'm just glad no one is yelling at me anymore." She shook her head, walking over as she sat on his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck, "I don't think I want to go back there." She whispered truthfully, resting her head on his shoulder as he nodded._

" _You don't have to, April." Punk reminded her, "You can stay here. I think my mom and dad want you to, for your own safety." He nodded, "I mean you've practically been living here for a year anyway." He said as she nodded._

" _You wouldn't get fed up of me?" She smiled._

" _You kidding?" He laughed, "Of course I wouldn't." He shook his head, "They… look if they can't be happy for you, where you're going, who you're with, then… they don't deserve you. I'd understand maybe if we were really bad people but we're not. We just… get labelled as it because we're a group." He said, "If you're in, that means we all got your back." He nodded_.

" _Will I have to get one of those tattoos?" She smiled a little._

" _No one is gonna force you but… if that's what you want." He smirked. He never wanted to pressure her into this larger than life thing. He dind't care if she didn't want to be part of the group, because he still wanted to be with her regardless, and he wouldn't have gotten mad, but the fact she did, and the fact she felt safe enough with him made him feel all the more better._

" _I'm gonna get it somewhere only you can see." AJ smiled to him as he raised his eyebrows._

" _Yeah?" He smiled as she nodded, pressing her lips against his softly, falling back onto the bed with him. He instantly could make her feel better, and feel worth something again, where as her parents… it felt like they just wanted control over her and it hurt her. But she felt like she found her family, the way Punk had when he was younger, and she couldn't imagine not ever being with Punk. He was special, not just because he was her first ever everything, but he was like her best friend, her soul mate. Nothing could change that._

* * *

"Freddie! C'mon, get up. You're gonna be late." Punk knocked at her bedroom door the next week, trying to get her up for school.

"I don't wanna go." Freddie called back, still in bed as Punk walked into her messy room.

"Why not?" Punk asked her, looking over at her buried under the covers.

"I don't wanna get up." She shook her head.

"Why?" Punk asked her again, trying to grab the covers from her to pull them back as she held on tightly.

"Leave them alone." Freddie groaned, almost getting pulled out of bed herself as her father tugged on the covers.

"You can't just stay off cause you feel like it, Fred. C'mon." Punk shook his head.

"I don't feel well." Freddie told him as he raised a brow and put his hands on his hips, walking over to her and placing his hand on her head.

"Well you've got no temperature." He said.

"Just because I don't have a temperature doesn't mean I'm not well in other places." Fredide shook her head, "Just go to work I'll be fine." He told her.

"I've got the day off." Punk said, "Where do you feel not well?" Punk asked her.

"I got cramp. Is that good enough for you?" Freddie asked him as Punk folded his arms.

"You're just saying that so I won't ask anymore questions." Punk shook his head.

"No I'm not." Freddie said, "Go away or I'll start talking about all the fun period stuff." She threatened as Punk immediately turned around and walked out of the bedroom door.

Being a father had always been incredibly challenging, especially doing it alone, but he felt being a father to a daughter was extra challenging, there had been many talks which he was not equipped for in the slightest.

* * *

" _Can I go play my game?" Twelve year old Freddie asked, sitting at the kitchen table as Punk looked across at her, "Why do you want to talk to me?"_

" _I want to talk to you because… we… we need to talk." He nodded. He wanted to stick pins in his eyes to stop the conversation already, "So technically I don't know much about this stuff, but Toni thinks it's important that I… have this conversation with you." He said as she looked at him and folded her arms. She still seemed so young for a conversation so… old._

" _I'm listening." Freddie sat back on the chair._

" _You know what a period is?" Punk chanced it, hoping that maybe by chance someone, where had already explained it to her._

" _When a girl bleeds from her vagina." Freddie said as Punk stared at her and nodded slowly._

" _Yeah, well… basically that's what it is." Punk nodded, "Who'd you know?"_

" _Lucy got hers and that's what her mom said but I don't… why does it bleed? Like does it mean there's something wrong?" She asked him as Punk's shaking hands clasped together._

" _No it just happens. I'm a guy so… I don't… know much about it." He reminded her, "I think it might have something to do with the… the organs you need to have a baby, I think they must just… I don't know, bleed?" He said, as if asking her the questions as Freddie looked at him, "Anyway, the main thing to address is that you're not dying when it happens. Remember when we watched Carrie? And I told you she'd just cut herself in the shower?"_

" _Yeah." Freddie said with confusion._

" _Not a cut, period." Punk said, "So don't be a Carrie and scream and get scared. It's a bit of blood. It goes away in like a few days." He nodded, "I think it can be a little sore sometimes, like you get a sore stomach or whatever… but apparently hot water bottles help so-"_

" _Do I need to tell you when I have it then?" She asked him as he looked at her._

" _I'd prefer you didn't." Punk laughed a little as she stared at him, "I mean yeah when you first get it, fine. Cause I'll need to buy you things but… not every time, god no." He said._

" _What things do you buy?" She asked him._

" _Uh… those tampon things, or you can use pads I think… I… whatever is comfortable I guess." He said as Freddie raised a brow, "I get it, it's weird, stop looking at me like that." He said as she just shook her head._

" _Wait does it bleed all the time?" Freddie asked._

" _Every four weeks I think." Punk nodded._

" _Jeez, I can't catch a break." Freddie rolled her eyes, "What happens if I don't get it then?" She asked._

" _Some people get it later I guess, if you get it and then stop getting it, you're probably pregnant, which means me and you will never talk again." He smiled to her brightly as she leered at him._

" _Well how do I get pregnant?" Freddie asked him as Punk sank his head down on the table, banging it off it a few times. He loved being a dad, he loved his daughter, and he'd do anything for her, but right now, right now he wanted to curl up in a ball and die._

" _Alright, we might as well just go for the home run while we're here." Punk lifted his head, "Ok, you get a boy and girl, right?" He said as Freddie nodded, "Boy… puts his penis inside the girl's vagina, things happen, nine months letter a baby comes out." He said as Freddie shook her head._

" _A baby happens every time?" Freddie asked._

" _No, well… girls can get tablets they take it which stops any babies from happening, but technically the guy should always have protection." He said, "Look, the main idea is, it's a serious thing and you gotta be responsible with it." He said, "You're… still a kid so don't worry about any of this stuff. You kinda just learn as you go along you know?" He said as Freddie looked at him, "Can this conversation please be over now?" He wondered._

" _You tell me." Freddie shrugged._

" _Yes, I think it's over." Punk nodded, "Agree that we'll never have to sit down and talk about any of this stuff again?"_

" _Ok." Freddie nodded, "Why are you sweating?" She looked at his forehead as Punk wiped it._

" _Cause it's hot in here." Punk remarked, "Go… go play or something, I'll put dinner on." He told her as she just shrugged and jumped off the chair, "And do your homework!" He called, making his way back into the kitchen, opening the freezer just to feel some cold air hit him, pouring himself a few glasses of water before he passed out from death by daughter._


	9. Finding Out

**Finding Out**

* * *

" _What's going on?" Punk asked, pushing through the group of people in order to get to their bar, pushing to the front as he saw the spray paint over the front of the door, turning to his dad who stood with his hands on his hips looking at the word 'murderers' in red spray paint, "What the hell is this?" He said as Julio ran his hand through his hair and shook his head._

" _We'll get it washed, call for a meeting tonight. That means everyone." He turned to Punk, "Your girlfriend included. I don't know if she's half in or half out, but she's with you which means that's a target and a link." He said as Punk nodded, "Make sure this is washed off before any pictures are taken." He nodded._

" _Ok." Punk nodded._

 _Later on, after the spray paint had been taken off the door, everyone had gathered in the bar and AJ had shown up, walking on in and finding Punk and Dean over by a table with a few others. She hadn't been home in weeks. She didn't feel like she had a home with her parents anymore. She had a home with her boyfriend, and his family._

" _Hey, what's going on?" AJ asked, walking over and taking a seat beside Punk who placed his arm around her._

" _Someone spray painted the front door this morning. Murderer." He said as AJ turned to him, "That old man who was murdered in his store the other week, guess who everyone thinks done it?" He said as AJ nodded slowly, "Dad wanted everybody here." He nodded._

" _I… I forgot how many there was." AJ admitted, looking around at the full bar._

" _Alright." Julio spoke loudly to get everyone's attention, standing at the front of the bar, "I'm not gonna take up your time, trust me." He nodded, "Today wasn't something we're not used to, I don't want anyone to forget that." He said, "You know a funny kind of way, I think we make people feel better. Because instead of realising that there are bad people out there who were a good mask, they blame us, because it's easy and it makes things easier. The cops are investigating us but… we got nothing to hide." He nodded, "So just comply with them and it'll blow over." He said, "We got each other's backs, and they can't prove something that isn't true." He reminded them as AJ turned to Punk, feeling him place his hand on her leg for assurance, "So… have a round on me and don't worry." He nodded to them all as they clapped whistled and cheered whilst Julio walked over to the table where his family was at._

" _You never mentioned the cops investigating us." Dean looked at him._

" _Didn't want to scare you but… well you get told everything that everyone else does." Julio nodded, "We got nothing to hide, so it's not an issue. Like I said, we're the safe option to blame." He said._

" _Police can plant things, though. Right?" AJ said as they turned to her, "I'm just saying."_

" _They've tried to before and they've gotten caught." Julio said, "Don't you worry." He nodded to her._

" _Do you wanna go home?" Punk asked her quietly as she nodded to him._

 _They eventually left the crowded bar and headed home, getting into the house and putting on a movie. She liked that her boyfriend was pretty much the nerd of the group. He didn't drink or smoke or do drugs, and he escaped all of that stuff as quick as he could. She knew he most definitely had a mean side though._

" _I never knew there was so much of you." AJ admitted truthfully, sitting on the couch as Punk came in with a bowl of popcorn, handing it to her as she collapsed down beside her._

" _Some people are just in it for a family reason. They only show up to the big meetings." Punk nodded, "Honestly, that's about as exciting as it gets. We spend more meetings talking about what we've been accused of rather than things we've actually done." He said, "My dad sees you as family so… he wanted you there." He nodded._

" _They're all so nice to me and they don't have to be." AJ said, lying up against him._

" _They're just big on family." Punk nodded, "It's a big change from going to… barely having any parents to Julio and Toni, right?" He said._

" _Right." AJ nodded, "I… I can't see myself ever going back. It just made me miserable." She said._

" _You don't have to go back." Punk shook his head as she nodded. She knew that now, and she couldn't imagine herself ever going back to her parents. As far as she was concerned, this was her family now._

" _I have something to show you." She whispered, standing up as Punk watched her with confusion, looking on at her standing in front of him, watching as she stripped her t-shirt off, smiling to himself as he sat the popcorn down._

" _You got my attention." He nodded, watching as she pushed her jeans down, kicking them over towards him as he smiled. She than unclasped her bra, letting it fall to the floor as his eyes never left her. He forgot all about the fact she said she had something to show him since his mind was too busy focused on other things._

 _She then pushed her panties down, stepping out of him as he noticed the raven tattoo on her lower hip. It was low enough to only be seen when her panties were off which made him smile._

" _How'd you even…" Punk shook his head._

" _I thought I'd surprise you." She shrugged innocently as he smiled, watching her walk towards him. She was so innocent, yet he knew she had it in her to snap and that made him love her even more._

" _Well I'm surprised." Punk smirked, eyeing the black printed tattoo as she walked over to him and straddled his hips, placing his hands on either side of her as she smiled down at him, "That's not gonna rub off." He teased as she smiled and nodded._

" _I know." She bit her lip, leaning down and pressing her lips against his softly as he kissed back, beginning to strip his clothes._

* * *

"I'm coming. I'm coming." AJ exclaimed, running through her apartment, having just got out the shower with only a towel wrapped around her, her hair still soaking wet.

She opened up her apartment door to the pizza delivery man, watching as he stared at her, "Here just keep the change." AJ said, taking the pizza from him and handing the money, watching as he stayed still and stared her up and down, "What?!" AJ shook her head harshly, "You done staring?" She asked him bluntly as he just walked away in a fluster as she rolled her eyes and closed the door over.

She dumped her pizza on the coffee table and ran back into her bedroom to put on some clothes. She dropped her towel, picking out some pyjamas, glancing at herself in the mirror, staring at the black bird on her hip, shaking her head and turning around as she put her pyjamas on and walked back into the living room, collapsing on the sofa and sticking the TV on.

She was used to a lonely life by now, but not a day went by where she didn't think about her daughter and boyfriend. Every birthday that would go by, every Christmas that she didn't get to see her daughter open her presents, every low moment she felt where she knew the only thing she needed was to be in her boyfriend's arms. It lived with her every day and it killed her to know that they thought she was oblivious. She knew if they really knew why she left, her parents conspiring and threats, then a lot more chaos would have went down.

Her life was simple now, she had taken the time alone to become a stronger person, to deal with her bipolar disorder that she was diagnosed with. She went to college and got a degree in psychology because she felt good about herself when she could help a fellow mentally ill person, and a lot of people seemed to listen to her more because of her own struggles.

Apart from successfully graduating from college and getting her job, there was absolutely nothing she felt that was worth living for. In her mind the entire time was that little baby she was pulled from.

Once she finished eating she took her pizza box out into the kitchen, knowing that she'd go back for more later. She sat it down on the counter and walked over to the fridge to get another bottle of water, pausing as she looked at the picture stuck against the fridge, the only picture she had. Even after seventeen years, every time she looked at it she felt tears building in her eyes.

It was a picture of her and Punk in the hospital with Freddie just hours after she was born. They were so young and terrified in the photograph, but they had plans for their baby girl, plans that she was ripped from.

* * *

" _Are you ok?" Toni asked, entering the kitchen in her dressing gown where she saw AJ sitting at the table with a bottle of water. It was 3am and she had been woken up by AJ throwing up. She wanted to go check on her to make sure she was ok, "You were being sick." Toni said as AJ nodded._

" _Maybe something I've ate." AJ shrugged as Toni looked across at her, seeing a somewhat worried look on her face._

" _Something you've ate?" Toni asked, taking out a bottle of water from the fridge and sitting down at the table, "You look awful worried for just… having ate something bad." She said as AJ just shrugged, "What's wrong, April?" She asked her. She'd always wanted a daughter and she treated April just as good as her own daughter. She was part of the family and had been for over a year. And she saw how much her son cared about her. She would always be there for her._

" _Nothing." AJ shook her head, trying to paint a calm face as Toni just stared at her, not buying it at all._

" _You're worried about something." Toni said, "And I guarantee you if you tell me… you'll feel a little better." She said as AJ sighed, running her hand through her hair._

" _I… think I'm pregnant." AJ said quietly, looking over at Toni who sat still, her mouth going dry as it gaped open for a few seconds, looking across at AJ._

" _H-How? Why would you think that?" Toni asked her._

" _I'm… almost two weeks late." AJ shook her head, finding it hard to believe, "And I just feel sick all the time." She said as Toni placed her hand over her mouth, "Please don't tell Phil. Not until I know for sure." She said._

" _April." Toni said with shock, "Weren't you… on the pill?" She asked._

" _My… my mom never took me for it and… I never went on my own." AJ shook her head._

" _So you've both been using nothing this whole time?" Toni asked her._

" _Sometimes." AJ said, "I… I don't know what to do." She admitted as Toni nodded._

" _Alright, ok." Toni sighed, trying to get her brain screwed back on tightly, taking control of the situation like she was best known for, "Ok, it's not the end of the world." She nodded, "I will… take you to the doctors if that's what you want, find out there." She said as AJ nodded, "And then you tell Phil immediately." She said, "He needs to know about this." She nodded as AJ nodded in agreement._

" _I just want to be sure. I don't want to scare him if it's just a false alarm." AJ shook her head._

" _You're two weeks late. I'd be prepared." Toni warned her as AJ nodded._

* * *

 _The next day, Toni took AJ to the doctors, the way AJ expected a mom to be there for her daughter. However, the only thing on her mind was getting the answer to such a lifechanging question. She felt like a baby herself, so to be at the doctors questioning such a thing felt ridiculous._

" _You are pregnant, April." The doctor nodded as AJ looked at her in shock, "You'll need to book an appointment with an OB to see how far along you are. And they will fill you in on everything you need to know." She nodded as AJ just stayed completely still, as if she had frozen and couldn't move even if she wanted to, "Sickness at this early stage is completely fine, normal." She said, talking to AJ, but AJ wasn't listening, everything felt extremely far away and high pitched and she just couldn't believe this was happening._

" _What about options?" Toni interrupted the doctor as the doctor turned to her, "She's… she's eighteen years old." Toni said as the doctor nodded whilst AJ turned to the doctor, snapping out of it._

" _Well you can have a consultation with a gynaecologist about your options. The state allows abortions up to twenty four weeks." The doctor nodded, "There is adoption too. There are plenty of parents who can't have children, you could… learn more about that and how that works." The doctor nodded, "The best thing you do right now is you take the time to think, come to a decision, I always say it's best to wait until you go for a scan, makes your mind up about the whole thing." She said as Toni nodded._

" _I… I…" AJ tried to string a sentence together but it just wouldn't come out, "Do you have… water? Can I have… a drink?" AJ asked, shaking her head as she started to feel dizzy._

" _Yes, of course." The doctor nodded, standing up and rushing behind her to the sink to get AJ a drink as Toni placed her hand on her leg, "Here you go." The doctor handed her the drink, "Best thing to know right now is you're not alone and you're not the first teenager to be in here receiving that news, trust me." She assured her as AJ took a drink._

" _Thank you." Toni nodded to the doctor, "Let's you get home ok?" She nodded to AJ who stood up slowly, trying to comprehend what was actually happening._

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks for the reviews! Let me know what you think!**


	10. Mad

**Mad**

* * *

" _Ok, let's get you in and get you something to eat, alright?" Toni said, walking into the house with AJ who hadn't said a word since leaving the doctors, "It's been a… long morning." She said, walking into the living room as AJ followed. Nothing was really sinking in yet. She never imagined being told at eighteen that she was having a baby. She just didn't know what to think._

 _They walked into the living room where Julio was on the phone and Dean was pacing up and down. Toni knew when her husband was in distress and she immediately began to panic._

" _What's going on?" Toni asked Dean quietly, sitting her coat down._

" _Phil was arrested this morning outside the Owl." Dean said quietly as AJ overhead and looked over._

" _Excuse me?" Toni shook her head as Dean nodded._

" _What's going on?" AJ asked worriedly as Julio got off the phone._

" _They're letting him go." He said, grabbing his jacket from the couch._

" _Someone tell me what the hell is going on." Toni demanded._

" _Someone attacked us." Dean said, "These guys. Phil fought back and… obviously they arrest the south side kid before they even look into the actual attackers." He said, "He didn't do anything." He said as Toni sighed and placed her hand on her forehead._

" _Nothing to worry about. They've released him. Can't press charges." Julio nodded, "Just… everybody stay here." He told them, "I'll be back soon." He said, walking on out of the living room and out of the door as Toni shook her head._

" _Damn north siders. I'd burn them all down." Toni spat, throwing down her purse and walking into the kitchen as AJ gulped and looked over at Dean._

" _Is he ok?" AJ asked him, "Phil?"_

" _Yeah, he's good." Dean assured her, "They won't do anything, trust me." He nodded as AJ just nodded along with him slowly, "You don't… you don't look so good." He told her truthfully. She wasn't her usually glowing self. She looked pale and disturbed by something._

" _I don't feel good." AJ shook her head, throwing her jacket down and rushing into the kitchen as her nearest escape, accidentally knocking Toni out of the way as she threw up in the sink, the wave of nausea just taking over her entire body._

" _Ok. You're alright." Toni sighed, rubbing her back softly as AJ continued to chuck her guts up in the sink, "It's ok." She nodded. She'd had better mornings for sure, "Ok. You're gonna go lie down, sweetheart. I'll bring you up some tea." Toni nodded. She couldn't imagine how the poor young girl was feeling, and she didn't want her around any sort of chaos that was to come later on, "Dean!" Toni called as Dean walked into the kitchen._

" _Everything ok?" Dean cringed a little._

" _Take April upstairs into the room and make sure she's ok. She's not feeling very well." Toni nodded._

" _It's ok. I can… I can go myself." AJ nodded._

" _No, you could faint halfway up the stairs. Dean is taking you." Toni said, "Try and get some rest." She nodded as AJ nodded back, turning around as Dean placed an arm around her and guided her out of the kitchen._

* * *

" _Are you ok?" Toni jumped on Punk the second Julio brought him home, trying to inspect him and look him up and down, "What'd those barbarians do to you? Did they hurt you? The police I mean." She said._

" _Ma, I'm fine." Punk brushed it off, "They just arrested me because they thought I started it, as usual." He said, "I'm fine."_

" _You're careless." Julio said, "Especially in public. I taught you better." He said._

" _They jumped us." Punk said, "I had to do something."_

" _We deal with that personally now. In our own time. In our own way." Julio said, "I mean what kind of idiots even… jump us in the morning." Julio laughed to himself with confusion._

" _North side idiots." Toni scoffed, "This just proves one thing, we are never the victim in anything so don't you boys go acting like it. They will always point the finger our way. We always need to be prepared for that." She said as Punk and Dean nodded._

" _Hey, where is April?" Punk wondered, looking around the living room, wondering where she was._

" _She's lying down." Toni nodded, "Didn't feel so good. Maybe you should go check on her." Toni nodded to him._

" _Ok." Punk said, backing out of the living room and heading upstairs whilst Toni looked over to Julio._

" _A word. In the kitchen." Toni told her husband, walking on into the kitchen as he followed her behind, "We… also have another slight issue on our hands." She nodded._

" _Oh, what? What now?" Julio asked._

" _April is pregnant." Toni looked up at him as Julio folded his arms and rolled his eyes._

" _They're kids." Julio said._

" _Who… need our support right now." Toni nodded, "April has had it tough. I don't know what she wants, or what Phil will want, but we've got to support them." She said, "Trust me, I'm as thrilled as I was with my own teen pregnancy." She nodded, "But I also regret what we did in the end." She told him as he looked across at her, "It's their decision, and we support it. Ok?" She asked him._

" _Ok." Julio nodded, "Of course I'll support them." He said as Toni nodded._

 _Punk made his way upstairs and into his bedroom where he saw AJ sitting up on his bed reading one of the comics he'd bought her that she kept in his room, which had basically became their room as her things were there just as much as his._

" _Hey." AJ said with relief as he closed the door behind him, "Are you ok?" She asked him worriedly as he nodded and climbed over her, laying down on the bed beside her and sighing tiredly._

" _The longest morning ever." Punk groaned as she watched him._

" _Tell me about it." She whispered, putting the comic down. She felt better after having a short nap, but she was still unsure of what to even say to him, and what they were actually going to do, "What even happened?" She asked him._

" _Just these guys jumped us and I was the one who got arrested." Punk said, "Obviously."_

" _Can they do that? Just arrest you like that?" AJ asked him._

" _If they have a hunch to believe I'm a danger, yeah. They just put me in a cell, talked to me about some shit and then let me go, like they always do." He shook his head, "It's getting boring now, and now… once my dad finds out who jumped us, he's gonna jump back, and I am… not looking forward to it." He admitted, turning on his side and resting into her as she played with his blonde hair, "Mom said you weren't feeling well?" He looked up at her as she nodded._

" _Uh… yeah." AJ nodded, "Just feel sick." She said as Punk nodded, "Actually, Phil. We need to talk." She said as he looked up at her, "I think you should sit up." She admitted as he arched a brow and shuffled up the bed, sitting against the headboard._

" _Ok, not that I was worried but… telling me to sit up, makes me worried." He said, "What's going on?" He asked her._

" _I… was at the doctors this morning." She nodded as he looked at her in the eyes, "I'm pregnant." She said. She wasn't nervous to tell him because he scared her, or his reaction would terrify her, it just became more real, the more and more she said it and told people. She had some belief in herself that they would work it out together, someway, but she didn't think he even registered what she had actually said._

" _What?" Punk shook his head, even though he heard her plain and simple, "What are you talking about?" He laughed a little._

" _I'm pregnant." AJ said, "I'm like two weeks late, I feel dreadful, your mom took me and they confirmed it. I've got an appointment at the hospital next week." She said as he just shook his head the entire time she spoke._

" _You're pregnant?" Punk asked, "With a baby?" He said._

" _I hope so." She made a face down at her stomach, "Yes, a baby." She nodded, "I know, I am… terrified, just like you. But we are… we aren't alone. We have each other and your mom already said she'll support us whatever we do. We do have to consider what's best."_

" _I'm sorry I just…" Punk climbed back over her and to his feet, feeling like his legs were spaghetti, "You're really pregnant?" He asked her again as she nodded, "Oh my God, April." He groaned a little, running his hand through his hair._

" _I know. I know it's scary." AJ said, "I am freaking out just like you but… we… we just have to figure out a way to deal with it, right?" She said, she was trying so hard to be responsible like her brain was telling her. Really she wanted to curl up in a corner and cry her eyes out at being placed with such responsibility at such a young age, but she knew that wouldn't get them very far._

" _This is crazy." Punk shook his head, sitting down on the edge of the bed as she swung her legs around and sat beside him._

" _I know." She nodded as he turned to her._

" _You don't seem freaked out." Punk said, "Am I being dramatic?" He wondered worriedly._

" _Hey you should have seen me earlier." She scoffed, "Almost threw up on your mom." She said as he laughed a little, "We have a lot to think about." She nodded, resting her head on his arm as he took a deep breath. He never thought he'd be in this position at this age. He loved AJ, he knew that much, and he knew nothing could bring them down, but this was a test that even he wasn't sure how to plan for. It seemed larger than life for two kids._

* * *

"Look at them. Not an intelligent brain cell between them all." Freddie shook her head as she sat at the lunch table in the school cafeteria with Lucy and Jenny, staring over at the quote on quote, popular people, who of course were the mean people who liked to bully all the people who couldn't stand up for themselves.

"They're all weird." Jenny shook her head, trying to do her homework for the next class which she was supposed to have done the night before but of course forgot.

"Why do they have to be mean to people? I don't get it." Freddie said.

"Because it's who they were born to be." Lucy said, "Technically you should be sitting with your people." She said, nodding over as Freddie turned around to where members of the well known gang her family was from were sitting.

"I'd rather sit with you losers." Freddie turned back around, "Besides, I'm not with them yet." She told them.

"Do you wanna be?" Jenny asked.

"I don't know." Freddie said, "It's not a bad thing. They're not bad people. They just have a reputation and some of them like that. I think they just look like idiots." She admitted.

"Some of them are super-hot though." Jenny nodded, "Like, even the girls. I don't swing that way but… I wouldn't mind." She shrugged as Freddie smiled.

"Well I do swing that way." Lucy said, "And yeah they are all pretty hot." She nodded as Freddie nodded in agreement, "Does it scare you?"

"No." Freddie shook her head, "You guys, they're not bad people. I know them. They're my family but… I don't know, I'm not sure if I wanted be branded. I mean… look what it did to my mom." She said.

"Your mom who you hate?" Jenny asked.

"Well she must have snapped, right? Something must have happened." Freddie said.

"You happened, when she was eighteen." Lucy said, "That's what made her snap. Most likely." She said as Jenny kicked her under the table, "What? I'm only saying the truth." She said as Freddie just nodded.

"Well that's what everyone says anyway." Freddie shrugged, "I don't know, everyone just walks around me on eggshells when it comes to her. I get showed a limited amount of pictures. My dad looks like he's about to have a stroke whenever I bring her up, my gran gets all emotional… like… I know as much as… my mom was a part of their family, a big part… so… why walk away?" Freddie shook her head. She had so many questions, not just as her mother's daughter, but as a member of the family, why her mother had just dropped everything in life and left. Nothing ever felt authentic about the story she was told.

"Look at those idiots." Jenny pointed over as Freddie turned around where the popular group were bullying a little kid, taking his glasses off with each of them passing them around and trying them on.

"Screw this." Freddie shook her head, grabbing her orange juice and unscrewing it as she walked on over to the table.

"Oh, bore off biker girl, we don't give money to charity." One of the girls laughed and waved her hand as Freddie tipped her bottle of orange juice out over her head, watching as the contents spilled out over her hair and down her face as the rest of the group looked on with shock whilst the bullied victim smiled to himself.

"You looked thirsty, girl." Freddie smiled, throwing the empty bottle down at her as she watched her swing for her, tackling her to the ground first before she got the chance as other people got involved to pull them both apart as the brawl carried on for a while, suddenly listening as the tanoy speaker eventually screeched as Freddie brushed her hair away from her face.

"Freddie Carraro Brooks to the principal's office." Screeched through the speaker as Freddie shook her head, pushing whoever it was holding her back away from her as she walked back over to her lunch table.

"So you won't be at last period class then?" Lucy asked, handing Freddie her bag.

"Doubt it." Freddie said calmly, taking her tray and putting her lunch in the trash as she left the cafeteria and headed down to the principal's office.


	11. Not April

**Not April**

* * *

" _I just want you both to take some time to consider all of this." Julio said, standing in front of AJ and Punk as they sat on the couch, being summoned on after dinner. There was no shouting or yelling, things were calm for the sake of the situation, "It's not… it's not like anyone is dying, ok?" He said._

" _If… you both decide this is what you want." Toni said, standing up from the other sofa, "If it's what you want to go through with then… we'll support you. This will still be your home and if… bringing a baby up here for the first few years is what you need to do to… find your feet, then that's ok." She nodded to them, "We can set up a nursery in the spare bedroom." She shrugged._

" _But let's not race ahead of ourselves." Julio reminded them, "I'd like to tell you that it's pretty irresponsible, how this has happened. I taught you better." He looked at Punk._

" _The point is." Toni jumped in again, "It's a decision only both of you can make. So don't rush into things, don't put reassure on yourselves, take some time to think. You're both still so young. It's a daunting thing for anyone, having a child, but at your age." She looked at them as they both sat in silence, "This… god, this isn't a lecture." She sighed, feeling like it was turning into one, "It's us saying that no matter what, we're here, if it's adoption, if it's an abortion or if you want to raise this baby here in this house… we will support it, because it's up to you and it's your decision."_

" _Thanks, mom." Punk nodded to her, "Dad." He nodded to his father._

" _Thank you." AJ nodded quietly. It was nice to have support, even though she could tell they were being frowned upon for being so careless, which she too was mad with herself, they were still supporting them with whatever they wanted to do, and that meant a whole lot. She didn't feel under any pressure which made it easier for her to deal with the actual fact she was pregnant._

 _They headed upstairs and into Punk's room. It was still a shock to both of them, but a shock that was sinking in little by little. There was nothing they could say to one another to make them less scared, but the fact they did have each other made a difference._

" _What do you think they want us to do?" AJ asked him, climbing into his bed as he climbed over her and sat beside her._

" _I have no idea." Punk said, "I mean, they probably want us to keep it but they're probably being realistic too with the fact we're eighteen. I ain't ever held a baby before." He told her truthfully._

" _Me neither." She whispered, just realising and feeling sick, "I don't know what to do." She said._

" _You'd have to drop out of school." He said as she nodded, "I could go full time at the parlour clearing up and doing their books." He nodded._

" _No you shouldn't drop out of school." AJ shook her head, "Not just because I might have to."_

" _I wanna work in the parlour anyway. Quicker I start getting training, the quicker I can make more money. Better money." He said._

" _So you'd… you would want this?" AJ asked him._

" _Hell I don't know." Punk sighed, "I don't want to wake up in ten years and… regret getting rid of a baby we could have had or… or wondering where the baby we gave up for adoption is. It just… it doesn't feel right."_

" _I know." AJ nodded, "It would take us a while to eventually get our own place." She said._

" _There's room here." Punk shrugged, "You're gonna need to tell your parents, you know that, right?" He said._

" _Do I need to?" AJ said, "I don't think we should tell anyone until we figure out what we're even doing." She said as Punk nodded, "And my parents are the last on my list, trust me." She told him, resting her head against the headboard, "Maybe we'll be able to decide once we go for the scan." She said._

" _Yeah." Punk nodded, suddenly listening as there was a loud crash downstairs._

" _What was that?" AJ sat up._

" _Stay here." Punk said, getting off the bed and leaving the room, rushing downstairs with Dean and into the living room where the shattered class from the window was all over the floor, "What happened?" Punk shook his head, making sure his mother was alright whilst he watched his dad appear from the kitchen, shoving his pocket knife inside his jacket pocket, "Woah… hey what happened?" Punk asked._

" _Someone just panned our window in, that's what happened." Julio said, "Stay here, this needs taken care of." He said, walking out of the living room and leaving the house as Punk looked around at the broken glass, the drapes blowing out from the cold air running through the house._

* * *

"Get in the car." Punk said, walking out of the school as Freddie followed behind, "I'm gonna end up losing my job the amount of times I have to leave it to come pick you up." He shook his head.

"Then I'll walk." Freddie shrugged.

"Get in the car." Punk shook his head, opening up the door and getting in as Freddie sighed, getting into the car beside him and putting her bag at her feet, "Do I gotta be worried about you? With all of this?"

"With all of what?" Freddie looked at him.

"The constant fighting. Not going to class sometimes. Why? What's wrong?" He asked her.

"Nothing is wrong." Freddie said, "Some kid was getting bullied. I wasn't gonna just sit and watch." She said.

"Then tell a teacher, don't go pour a whole bottle of orange juice over someone and tackle her to the ground. I didn't… did I raise you to be that way?" Punk asked.

"What do you mean by that way?" Freddie looked at him angrily, "You raised me to stand up for myself and to stand up for others who couldn't." She said, "I'm not the one in the wrong here. Those bullies are."

"Don't be concerned about other people so much. Focus on you. What you're doing-"

"They were sitting right across from me." Freddie said.

"Then tell someone. Stop taking matters into your own hands. You're gonna get excluded from the school. Next time you step out of line you're gone, that means you don't go to college and you'll probably… find a way to blame me for that."

"Why are being this difficult?" Freddie asked him.

"Me? Difficult? Kid look in the fucking mirror." Punk shook his head, "You're the most difficult person I've ever known." He said as Freddie looked up at him.

"You know what, I'm just gonna walk." Freddie told him, getting back out of the car.

"Freddie." Punk said, listening as the door slammed shut, watching out of his mirror as she walked out of the school gates, sighing to himself as he rested his head back against the seat.

A few hours later Freddie ended up at Julio and Toni's house. She regarded it as a safe place, just the way her mom did all those years ago. It felt like a second home, and when she felt like she had nowhere else to go, that's where she normally ended up going.

"I just made soup, do you want some?" Toni asked, turning to Freddie who was sitting at the kitchen table.

"No." Freddie shook her head, "I'm not hungry." She told her as Toni nodded, turning around as she looked over at her.

"What'd he do then?" Toni asked as Freddie turned around, "Your dad? I assume you're mad at him for something." She said, walking over to the table and taking a seat with her.

"He said I was difficult." Freddie said, "He's difficult." She said childishly.

"You and I both know that he just wants what is best for you. He's tried really hard to get this dad thing right. He has since the second he held you. All your fighting, the aggression, I think he probably feels responsible for that-"

"It's not like it's a disease. I just… have a smaller amount of patience." Freddie said.

"And that's ok." Toni said, "Hey, I'm all standing up for yourself, protecting yourself and others… but your dad wants you to finish school and go to college, and I'm sure you do too." Toni nodded, "Now that's not gonna happen if you keep socking people in the face." She said as Freddie sighed and sat back against the chair, "Do you know why you do it? Why you feel the need to get violent?" She asked her as Freddie shook her head.

"It just happens." Freddie said, "I… it just comes over me." She said truthfully as Toni nodded, "I know I sound crazy but.. it feels like I'm not… in my body." She admitted as Toni nodded.

"Doesn't sound crazy." Toni shook her head.

"And I feel like I can't talk about with my dad." Freddie admitted truthfully.

"Why not?" Toni asked.

"He thinks I've just got a bad temper but… it feels like more than that to me." She admitted truthfully as Toni nodded.

"Your dad would always listen to you, no matter what, you know that." Toni said, "We can all go through phases where we feel… not ourselves, where we feel like we have a lot of control when really we just want to feel in control of something, whatever it is." Toni nodded, "You are… you're very like your dad but… you're a lot like your mom in that sense." She said as Freddie looked over to her.

"Why did she leave?" Freddie asked, "I get it, she was eighteen, didn't know what to do with me but… if she was family… why did she leave?" She asked as Toni stiffened a little.

"Things just got too much for her." Toni nodded, "It was safer for her, and for you as a baby, for her not to be here anymore." Toni said, "She did love you. There was… no question about that." She smiled.

"She wouldn't have left if she did." Freddie said bitterly.

"Freddie it was just something that had to happen. Your mom wasn't in a good place and… it made it a whole lot easier for everyone if she left, so she did." Toni said, "And that hurt your dad, because he cared about her a lot, and they had plans to both be there for you, but things changed, and it got harder." Toni said.

"Do you know where she is now?" Freddie asked.

"I don't." Toni said, "Still in Chicago I assume. But we don't know anything."

"She could have come back at any time." Freddie said, "When she was older and more prepared. She just… it's like she forgot about me." She said.

"I can't speak for her. I don't know where her mind is at. I just think it's something you need to accept. She's just not in your life. That's the way it is." Toni nodded.

"It doesn't feel right." Freddie shrugged, "Someone who was part of the family, part of the group, I mean you said that her and my dad had plans for me, to raise me, both of them… but then one day she just changed her mind and walked out? I don't… I just don't get it." Freddie shook her head.

"I never did either." Toni nodded, "She was… like a daughter to me. Your dad was devastated when it happened. It was sudden, which I guess doesn't feel right but… she made that choice and… she'll live with it for the rest of her life now." Toni shrugged, listening as the front door opened and closed, watching as her father walked into the kitchen as she turned away from him.

"You done being mean?" Freddie asked him in a mumble.

"I wasn't mean." Punk said.

"You were." Freddie looked up at him.

"Yeah because I care, Freddie." Punk said, "Who else is gonna make sure you stay in school and go to college? It's my job." He said as Freddie looked down.

"You still don't have to be mean." Freddie said whilst Toni excused herself from the table.

"Ok, well I apologise for being mean." Punk said, "But you get me worked up, kid. All this bullshit fighting… it's gotta stop, like… right now." He said, "Maybe I've been too soft, and we've joked about it too much, but… you're gonna get kicked out and I don't want that for you." He said as Toni stood pretending she was doing the dishes.

"I won't get kicked out." Freddie said.

"You will if this is how you wanna continue." Punk said.

"Ok, well I'm sorry. Is that what you want me to say?" Freddie looked up at him.

"What you do doesn't affect me, it affects you and your future." Punk said, "Just… keep your head down from now on, ok? No fighting, no pretending you're not well just because you don't wanna get out of bed." He said as Toni raised her eyebrows, "It stops now." He said as Freddie just nodded.

"Ok fine." Freddie mumbled as Punk sighed.

"Ok, go… go on out to the car." He nodded to her.

"Thanks Toni." Freddie smiled to her gran as Toni turned around and smiled.

"Anytime you need me." Toni smiled, watching as she left the kitchen.

"Sorry about this." Punk nodded to his mother.

"Phil, wait a minute." Toni said as Punk looked over at her, "I… I think it's time you have _that_ conversation with her." Toni nodded as Punk looked across at her.

"I know what you're thinking." Punk nodded, "She's not April. Ok?" Punk said, "She just has a temper."

"I know that but… she still needs to know." Toni said.

"Well then I'll tell her when I feel is right." Punk said, "But right now, isn't the time."

"Lose the attitude with me, boy." Toni warned him, "Remember who it is you're talking to." She said as he looked across at her and gulped, "April was diagnosed at eighteen. Freddie is… a few months away-"

"Just stop it. Stop talking." Punk said, getting uncomfortable, "She's a kid. She just hates bullies." Punk made a face, "That's it. So don't you tell her anything about it. I'll tell her in my own time, but she's fine." Punk told her as Toni just nodded.

"Just you remember what happened to April." Toni said, "Ask yourself if you want that to be Freddie."

"She isn't April." Punk warned, "I have to go." He told her as Toni just nodded, watching as he left the house.

* * *

" _This is gonna feel a little cold." The doctor smiled as she squeezed the gel onto AJ's stomach in the hospital room._

" _Oh, that is cold." AJ nodded, watching as the doctor ran the probe over her stomach up and down, looking up at the monitor beside them, heart beating rapidly._

 _They'd been faced with many looks of horror in the waiting room. Whilst she sat amongst middle aged pregnant woman with their husbands, she felt like they were all pointing and laughing at her. She knew Punk was oblivious to it, he seemed to not care what other people thought which was something she loved, but she did._

" _Here we go." The doctor smiled, getting the baby on the screen as Punk and AJ looked on at it, "You see it there?" She pointed to it on the monitor._

" _That's it?" Punk asked._

" _That's it." The doctor smiled, "You are… approximately fourteen weeks I'd say." The doctor nodded._

" _Is everything ok?" AJ asked, looking on at the baby on the screen. It felt surreal to know that little body, that little person was inside of her and it was theirs. Any person of any age was overwhelmed by that thought, she knew she wasn't just being a scared teen._

" _Everything looks great." The doctor smiled to them, "Your young and healthy so this should be smooth sailing." She nodded, "We can take a listen to the heartbeat." She nodded to them, eventually letting a loud swishing noise fill the room as Punk raised his eyebrows._

" _That's weird." Punk laughed a little as the doctor smiled._

" _It's fast is it ok?" AJ wondered._

" _Should be fast like that. Like a little train." The doctor nodded, "Everything looks great." She assured them both, "I know your doctor referred you here for a consultation on… other options." The doctor said as AJ stared over at the screen. For the first time, she felt that connection, she felt like the baby was really there, and it wasn't just a nasty shock. It was a little person who they could meet soon and that was starting to warm her heart more than she could ever have imagined._

" _April." The doctor smiled to get her attention as AJ turned around._

" _Oh, sorry." AJ shook her head, "Yeah… I just wanted to know how things work, that's all." She admitted, her eyes drawing back over to the scan image, looking up at Punk who was also looking over at it._

" _Well you can progress as normal and have the baby, the state allows abortions up to 24 weeks so that decision needs to be made relatively soon if that's what you want, and adoption you would have the baby and… you don't have to see it, hold it or have any contact what so ever, it would just go straight to its adoptive parents, and I mean… there are plenty of people out there looking to adopt." She nodded, "It's all very daunting, I know. And I assume it's not easy to think of what's best but… it's just that, you need to consider what is best for you and for the baby." She said, "I know you'll be doing a lot of thinking, as you should, and when the time comes that you've made a decision, just call me up and we'll have another consultation and go from there." She said, "In the meantime, I'm gonna let you get cleaned up and I'm gonna get you some information I think you might find helpful." She said as AJ nodded and smiled._

" _Thank you." AJ nodded._

" _Thanks." Punk smiled politely as the doctor nodded and left the room whilst AJ cleaned off her stomach and sat up on the bed, "That's kinda weird, right?" Punk smiled, still looking over at the monitor._

" _It's really in there." AJ said, looking down at her stomach, "Imagine what it's gonna look like." She smiled a little._

" _Cute probably. If it looks like you." Punk nodded as she looked up at him, "What?" He said._

" _I… I think I want to… to have it." AJ nodded, "I feel different actually seeing it, I feel like I can feel it now." She said truthfully._

" _Yeah, it feels a bit more real, doesn't it?" He said as she nodded._

" _What do you think?" She asked him._

" _I think… we'll do whatever we need to, to make it work." Punk nodded to her as she smiled lightly, "And we've got the support." He said, "If we're in it together." He nodded as she looked up at him._

" _Yeah." AJ nodded with a smile._


	12. Violent Trait

**Violent Trait**

* * *

"Fred, your dinner is ready." Punk called from the kitchen. His daughter hadn't spoken to him since he picked her up from Toni's. He knew she was mad at him and he knew that sometimes he maybe didn't say the right things, but he meant well, and he just wanted her to not make stupid mistakes that she would regret. He'd became disturbingly protective that he didn't really know how else to be around her.

"Freddie!" Punk called after not hearing any reply, walking out of the kitchen and through the living room, knocking on her bedroom door, "Can I come in?" He asked, walking on in anyway where he saw she was lying on her bed watching TV, "Your dinner is ready." He told her.

"I'm not that hungry." Freddie told him.

"I made your favourite." Punk said as she just stared at the TV, "Ok, alright. You're allowed to be mad at me, I'm your dad, you're probably gonna be more mad at me over the years than you are gonna like me, that's fine." He said, walking over and sitting down on the edge of her bed, "But I just… I want you to stick in at school and go to college, because I know it's what you want to do. If you weren't interested, if you wanted to just get a job somewhere and start working, I'd say fuck it, just leave school, but I know you want to study art and you're good at it too which is a plus." He said, "I'm not saying all this shit just because I like the sound of my own voice." He said, "I just care about you and what you'll be doing in the future." He nodded.

"You don't have to yell at me, though. I'm not five." She reminded him.

"I know you're not. As much as I'd like you to be." He said, "There's nothing more I care about in this world than you, and I want you to do well for yourself because you have it in you." He nodded.

"Sometimes I just don't feel like myself." Freddie shrugged as Punk nodded.

"We get days like that. We get days where it takes a few hours for us to… actually wake up and be productive, it's life. Not every day will be the same." He shrugged.

"It feels more than that though." Freddie mumbled, "Like I'm not in control of myself some days." She said as Punk looked across at her, "Is that… is that normal?" She asked him as he turned away from her for a second and sighed.

"Yeah." He nodded, even though he knew it wasn't the correct answer, "Yeah, you're a teenager. I've been there. Sometimes you feel invincible, right?" He said as Freddie nodded, "It's ok, you're just… growing up that's all." Punk said as Freddie nodded.

"Ok, maybe I am hungry." Freddie smiled.

"I knew you would be." He said, standing up and leaving the bedroom as Freddie followed him out.

* * *

" _Where is dad?" Punk asked, walking into the living room after getting home from work. He was picking shifts up at the parlour. With them making the decision that they were having their baby, he wanted to make sure they were earning as much as they could, it was already a blessing that his parents were giving up the spare bedroom to be the baby's nursery._

 _AJ was already five months along and they knew it was a girl they were having which of course thrilled Toni, but things had been a little chaotic at home and at their bar with different late night activities taking place ever since he and Dean were jumped._

" _He's at the police station." Toni shook her head, "Cops came by this morning, wanted to talk to him about the fire and the slashed tyres on the north." She said._

" _Well what's he going to say?" Punk asked, "That was us." Punk nodded._

" _Well he's not going to say anything, is he? These goons started it, whoever they are, for whatever reason. They came at us so… it's what they deserve." Toni shrugged, "How was work?"_

" _Could we get charged?" Punk asked, "Where is Dean?"_

" _Dean is at the owl. No, no one is getting charged. They do what they do every time. They take your father in, they question him and then they release him because they have nothing but speculation." Toni said, "It's been the same thing for years." Toni nodded._

" _Should I go down and see if he's ok?" Punk asked._

" _No, you'll do nothing. Go check on April." Toni said, "She's been sleeping all day, I'm getting worried about her. I asked her if she wanted to go shopping but she said she didn't feel like it. She seems… not herself." Toni nodded._

" _Ok, I'm going up anyway. Let me know what's going on with dad, yeah?" Punk said as Toni nodded._

 _He walked off out of the kitchen and headed upstairs, walking into his room where he saw his pregnant girlfriend lying in bed with her eyes opened, "Hey." Punk smiled softly, "Were you sleeping?"_

" _No." AJ shook her head, "Just… lying thinking." She told him._

" _Yeah? What about?" Punk asked, climbing over her and laying down on his stomach beside her, "How is she?" He asked her as AJ nodded, placing her hand on her small bump._

" _She's good. Well, I think she's good." AJ nodded, "I've just been thinking about… the fact I should probably tell my parents now." She said, "Before it gets any later." She said, "Also thinking about your dad and all of that chaos going on-"_

" _Hey you don't have to worry about that." Punk assured her, "It's getting taken care of. Just a bit of back and forth foul play." He said._

" _You were there when they slashed the tyres and set the fire." AJ said, placing her finger under his chin so he'd look at her, "Could have gotten hurt." She told him._

" _No." Punk said, "No, I'm good. Nothing bad was happening it was just… you know, warnings." He said, "You don't have to worry." He promised her._

" _Well I do." She said._

" _My mom said you've been sleeping all day." Punk said, "Is everything ok?" He asked her. He knew she was probably tired, she was pregnant, but he had also noticed how almost distant she was becoming. He knew it wasn't because of the baby, because every time they went to a scan, or when she felt the baby kick, the biggest smile lit up on her face, but she just seemed a little down._

" _I've just been tired." AJ told him truthfully, "I don't know, I've just not felt like getting up some days."_

" _That's not good." Punk told her quietly._

" _I know." AJ nodded, "It's maybe just a phase." She shrugged, "Or the fact I've been thinking about telling my parents I'm five months pregnant."_

" _Should I come with you?" Punk asked her._

" _I think you should." AJ nodded, "I mean you've not even met them. Not properly anyway." She said, "I just… I know what they're gonna say and think." She nodded._

" _Who cares what they think?" Punk said, "If they start talking shit we just get up and leave, we don't need that in our lives." He said as she nodded._

" _I hope your dad is ok. Shouldn't someone go to the station and see what's going on?" AJ asked._

" _My mom said it's fine so… it must be fine." He said._

" _Who even are these people that are messing you guys around?" AJ asked him, "Another group?"_

" _Yeah from the north." Punk shrugged, "I don't know, my dad knows them all by name. He calls the shots so we all just go along with it." He said._

" _It's kind of just… all about territory right?" AJ said as Punk nodded._

" _More or less yeah." Punk nodded, "Don't worry about it." He shook his head, "It'll get cleared up." He said as AJ just smiled and nodded._

 _It wasn't that she was unhappy with what was going on in her life, she'd never felt more loved as a matter of fact. She was so excited to meet their daughter, despite being so clueless and young, but she knew they could do it together. Just some days she felt herself heavier than others and she couldn't explain why, she'd experienced it before throughout her teen years but it seemed to just get that little more worse in the past few weeks._

" _Has she been kicking?" Punk asked her, putting his hand on her stomach. He was fascinated by the fact their baby was actually there inside her. He was happy, they were pretty new to all of this, but so was every first time parents. They had a great support system from family and each other, and he too was excited to meet the little person growing inside AJ._

" _No, not as much. She was during the night." AJ nodded, "She's probably sleeping." AJ smiled._

" _Bless her." Punk smiled, giving her stomach a kiss and rolling over onto his back, "So when do you wanna go see your parents then?" He asked her._

" _We could… go tonight." AJ said, "Just get it over with." She nodded. A part of her felt like she didn't need to tell her parents because they had already addressed their feelings on her and the fact she was living with Punk, but she also still regarded them as her parents and wondered if maybe they would actually show her some sort of support. She knew that was just her being hopeful of course._

* * *

 _Later that night they headed over to AJ's parents' house. AJ was very visibly pregnant. She wasn't massive but she had a bump which gave it all away. She wasn't looking forward to what was to come but she had Punk by her side and that made her feel a little better._

 _She knocked on the door as they waited for an answer, eventually watching as her mother opened up the door, standing for a second as she processed the image that was in front of her. Her very clearly pregnant teen daughter with her boyfriend._

" _I see you've been busy." Laurel remarked as AJ looked over at her, "Come in then, I suppose." She nodded, standing aside as AJ walked into the house followed by Punk as Laurel closed the door over and followed them into the living room where Rick was._

" _What the hell is this?" Rick stood up._

" _I would say you have a lot explaining to do, April but… I think we can see what's going on here very clearly." Laurel said._

" _I just… I thought you both had a right to know." AJ shrugged, "Whether you care or not." She mumbled._

" _A right to know that our daughter is pregnant with some… crime feasting bikers baby." Laurel spat._

" _I'm not a biker." Punk made a face, "And I'm not a criminal either." He told them, "I work in a tattoo parlour."_

" _We know who you are." Rick said, "And we know where you come from. The mob of scum, that's what." He said, "And now… now look what you've done to our daughter." He said._

" _It's not that big of a deal." AJ said, "We're doing fine. We're living with Phil's parents until we can find a place of our own. We'll have jobs." AJ nodded._

" _You are living with Toni and Julio. Who always welcome the troubled, stray dogs into their lives. Is that what you are now, April? Or we you just so desperate for someone to show you attention that you thought that was the perfect family, because I agree." Laurel nodded, "I bet you fascinate them. Someone with manners, class, well… someone who used to have some class." Laurel said, "And now look what they've done to you-"_

" _They've not done anything to me but support me and help me… and love me." AJ said, "Something you never did." She said, "We made our choice together about this baby, and we're going to have it no matter who thinks we shouldn't." AJ said, "I came here because I thought maybe you'd be interested in meeting your granddaughter one day, but I guess not." AJ said. She didn't know why she felt so hurt considering she knew this would be the reaction she would get._

" _Should have aborted the poor thing." Laurel spat as AJ shook her head and looked across at them both. She didn't understand how people who were supposed to love her like no one else, could be so mean and cruel._

" _You will never be in my life, or her life." AJ nodded, no longer wishing to be involved in this toxic relationship, she knew who her family were, she knew who loved her and cared for her and it wasn't her parents, "I'm your daughter. You're supposed to be there for me and you've never… you've never been there." AJ shook her head whilst Punk stood behind quietly He didn't really know what to say, so he stayed quiet._

" _How do you expect us to be there for you when you… you hang around with those people and you're pregnant at this age… why would we ever support that, April?" Rick spat, "You're damaged. You're difficult. And you have always been that way. Goes to show the only people you can get to give you attention is scum bag gang members who go about terrorising people-"_

" _Uh, excuse me." Punk laughed a little, "I don't… we don't do that, you don't know anything about me." Punk said._

" _Oh, please. We know everything about you and your family. Bringing up a baby in that, April? That's on you." Laurel said._

" _In what, mom? In a loving family who will love her?" AJ asked, "You don't know Phil and you don't know his family. They've been good to me and my baby is lucky to have them." AJ made clear._

" _You're just a confused, stupid little girl. You need to open up your damn eyes." Rick said._

" _My eyes are open fine, dad." AJ said, "And I am fine with staying the hell away from you both, because I've got a family who care about me, and a boyfriend who loves me. Which is more than I could ever say about you two. So what I'm pregnant at this age, it's not going to ruin my life. You're just small, narrow minded people who live in your own little bubble." She said, "And actually I feel sorry for you." She nodded, "And I kinda hate you both." She laughed a little as Punk turned to her, "All the years of mental torture you both put me through and I am finally out and I couldn't feel happier about that." AJ nodded, "And I love that you want me to be this perfect good little successful girl who just… nods and shakes her head when you two say but I'm not that girl… I'm with a gang family, I'm pregnant because of all the sex I had." She spat, inching closer towards her mother, "And I feel great about it." AJ nodded._

" _You're disgusting." Laurel spat, trying to step back as AJ got closer._

" _No I'm not." AJ smiled, "I just love that you're not proud of me." She nodded, "But I'm proud of me. I'm proud of me for getting rid of you two because it feels like a fucking… weight off my shoulders." She nodded as Laurel looked down at her._

 _She didn't know what came over her, if it was her hormones, her impulse or if she just wanted to do it, but next think she knew, she slapped her mother across the face hard, almost knocking her down to the ground. And it wasn't just for the mean things she had said to her tonight, it was the mean things she had said to her, her entire life, the mean things that drove her away, and slapping her felt like a breath of fresh air._

" _Ok, alright. We're going." Punk nodded, pulling AJ back before anything else happened._

" _You get out of this house, right now." Rick spat, trying to comfort his wife as AJ just watched with a smile._

" _I'm going." AJ whispered, turning around and leaving the house as Punk followed behind. He expected it to be bad but not that bad. It looked like AJ had just snapped within herself._

" _Are you ok?" Rick asked his wife._

" _I'm fine." Laurel nodded to him, rubbing her cheek, "This is not happening." She shook her head, "She is not staying with that family and she is not… having that baby." She hissed, "I won't have that."_


	13. Life And Death

**Life And Death**

* * *

"I'll see you same time next week, yeah?" AJ smiled, a few weeks later, walking a client of hers out of the office as the middle aged woman nodded.

"Yeah, see you then." The woman smiled, walking out of the office as AJ closed the door over behind her and returned back to her desk to finish off some reports. She didn't class herself as a doctor because that wasn't what she was. It occurred to her that she wanted to be that person that she wished she had when she was younger. Someone to go let her feelings out to. Someone to just talk and talk to even if it didn't make sense. After what she had gone through, she wanted to do something meaningful and she felt it was a very rewarding job as she met people who were pretty much broken inside, and could watch them flourish into happily contented people. It wasn't always sunshine and rainbows however, it was actually a very hard job as it required a lot of strength to listen to people's stories, but in a way, it made her not feel so alone.

It was something she used to focus on to avoid the fact she had a baby girl out there whom she desperately wanted to be with. She put all her thoughts and energy into her studies once she got to good health and managed to find an office to work in which was conveniently close to her apartment. Besides having such haunting memories of her past that still lived with her, she lived an average and content life

She looked up when she heard a knock at her door, watching her as her mother walked into the office with two cups of coffee, raising her brow and sitting her pen down.

"Are you busy?" Laurel asked.

"Well… I have five minutes I guess." AJ nodded, "Why are you here?" She asked.

"I thought I would bring you coffee." Laurel smiled pleasantly, walking over to the desk and sitting down the cup as AJ watched her. Sometimes, her mother acted like there was absolutely nothing wrong, like they were a normal, loving mother and daughter, and that was even worse for AJ, she would have preferred to have her yelling at her.

"You're just… stopping by?" AJ asked, sliding the cup towards her.

"Yeah, just to see how you are." Laurel nodded, "Busy?"

"Yeah, quite." AJ nodded, "Is everything ok?" She asked.

"Mhm." Laurel said, "Why wouldn't it be?" She asked.

"Well you're acting… really strange." AJ laughed a little.

"Am I?" Laurel shrugged, "Just came to see how my daughter is, that's all." She said.

"Well I'm fine." AJ nodded, "Thank you for the coffee." She said as Laurel smiled.

"Ok, well I'll let you get back to work then." Laurel nodded with a smile as AJ just nodded, watching as her mother left the office and shaking her head. She supposed she was used to her odd behaviour by now.

Laurel left the office and walked outside, taking her phone out and calling her husband as her smile faded out, "It's fine. She doesn't know anything. I didn't suppose she would have but… she knows nothing."

* * *

" _I don't think your father is getting out any time soon." Toni admitted truthfully, standing in the living room in front of Punk, Dean and AJ, "The lawyer thinks it's best just to plead guilty but… but you know your father." She said._

" _You told me this was nothing to worry about me." Punk said, "You said it was just back and forth warnings." He said, "Did you know it was this bad?"_

" _I didn't want any of you to worry." Toni told them, "You're all too young to be involved in this right now. If you were older, fine, I'd let you try and help, I'd let you be at the meetings but this is… it's too much for you now."_

" _We can handle it." Dean said, "We're not babies."_

" _No. I don't want either of you involved." Toni said, "Your father is tough. He will… he'll find his way out of this, he always does." Toni nodded, "We just have to be supportive."_

" _He… hid a dead body." AJ said as they turned around to face her, "How does he get out of that? Why did he do it in the first place?" She shook her head, sitting at eight and a half months pregnant, a large but healthy bump on her._

 _A lot had gone on in the past few months. Since the dramatic exit she made from her parents, she felt herself losing herself that little bit more every now and then. Some days she didn't come out of the room or speak to anyone, but she made sure no one really noticed, everyone had so much going on anyway that they barely noticed._

 _Julio had found himself in some trouble from a few years ago when he took on a job for a fellow gang member after an accidental death had taken place. He disposed the body however the evidence had been found and he had been arrested immediately where of course it looked like he was the murderer._

" _He was protecting one of our own." Toni said, "It's what we do. But he will… he'll pull through."_

" _His fingerprints are everywhere." Punk said as Toni put her hand up._

" _Is that doubt I hear?" Toni asked him, "Right now? You're gonna doubt him? He will get out of this. He always does." She nodded to herself, "You three just need to keep your heads down. Am I clear about that?" She said as Punk and Dean nodded, followed by AJ who groaned a little._

" _What's up?" Punk turned to her._

" _I don't know my… my stomach is sore." She said as Toni looked over, noticing the couch wet below AJ._

" _Your waters have broken." Toni nodded calmly as Punk and Dean shuffled away a little._

" _What?" AJ shook her head, looking down between her legs and gulping, "Oh my God, I'm so sorry about your couch." AJ looked up at Toni._

" _Don't be ridiculous, c'mon." Toni said, "We need to get you to the hospital. Dean go get the bag and the carrier and put it in the car." She said, "Phil, take a deep breath." She nodded as she noticed Punk had gone a funny green colour._

" _Are you really having it right now?" Punk asked her._

" _I don't know." AJ shook her head, "But this really hurts." She admitted truthfully, getting to her feet as Punk stood up._

" _Ok, just take deep breaths." Toni nodded, "It's gonna be fine." She said, "I promise." She said as AJ nodded, turning to Punk who gulped and helped her out to the car._

* * *

AJ got called out to the hospital later on which sometimes happened in certain cases. She was obligated to visit patients in the hospital, particularly the psych ward obviously, where she would assess and evaluate how patients were doing. She found that the hardest, as she knew what it felt like to be there.

She walked into the psych ward and signed in, saying hello to the familiar faces as she walked down the corridor, pausing in her tracks suddenly, feeling her heart literally stop inside her as she looked over at the coffee machine where her ex-boyfriend stood filling up a cup of coffee.

She shook her head with confusion, backing away and heading back around the corner before he saw her. He couldn't believe it. He looked just as she remembered. She wished she could have looked at him longer. He still had that mysterious vibe that she fell in love with first, and she felt like she could hardly breathe seeing him again after all this time. She'd saw a few pictures here and there but never anything in person.

Once getting a hold of herself, she walked back around to the front desk.

"Jessie, do you have a list of the patients on this floor?" AJ asked her.

"Uh… I should, yeah." Jessie, the receptionist nodded, looking around the desks and eventually grabbing a piece of paper, handing it over to AJ, "Forgot the name?" Jessie smiled a little as AJ accidentally ignored her, looking down at the list of names, placing her hand over her mouth as she choked out a sob as Jessie looked up with worry, "April." Jessie shook her head, "What's the matter?"

"Why is this girl here?" AJ asked, pointing to the name on the list as Jessie looked at it.

"She was brought in this morning." Jessie said, "Suicide attempt." She said as AJ shook her head as tears ran down her cheeks, "Do you know her?" Jessie wondered with worry as AJ looked at the name.

"She's my daughter." AJ whispered.

* * *

" _I can't do this anymore." AJ shook her head in the delivery room, after being in labour for the entire night, finally half way through giving birth to their daughter._

" _Yes you can." Punk nodded, "Look at me, you've come this far, you can do it." Punk told her. He knew his love for her was unconditional but watching how much pain she had to endure, yet how much strength she showed made him realise that there would never, ever be anyone like her in his life._

" _No, I don't want to." AJ shook her head, feeling him wipe her head and brush her hair back from her face._

" _It's just a few more minutes." Punk nodded, "And then we can finally see her." He said. He knew his days of being a foolish teenager ended in this room the minute he heard their baby cry, "You can do this, I know you can." He said as AJ rolled her head back against the pillow, nodding to herself, trying to coach her own self through the last stages of giving birth. It was by far the most difficult thing she'd ever done._

 _She squeezed her boyfriend's hand as she gave the final few pushes which eventually resulted in the most beautiful noise either of them had heard, watching as the baby girl was taken over to the side to get cleaned up as AJ eagerly pushed herself up to look over as Punk did too._

" _You did it." Punk whispered, turning to AJ who tiredly looked over at the baby._

" _Congratulations." The doctor smiled, walking over with the baby wrapped up in the blanket, placing her in AJ's arms as AJ looked down at her, tears immediately flowing from her eyes as she looked down at their perfect baby girl, so tiny and beautiful._

" _Hi." AJ whispered, "Hi, baby." AJ said in awe as Punk smiled, looking down at the baby._

" _She's gorgeous." Punk shook his head with amazement._

" _She is." AJ nodded, swallowing the lump in her throat. She knew the most important thing she would do in her life was be this little girl's mother, and all she wanted was to be the mom that she never had, the mom she wished she had._

" _I'm so proud of you." Punk shook his head as AJ smiled, turning around to him as he leaned down and pressed a kiss on her lips, feeling her kiss back, only breaking away so she could stare at the baby girl some more._

" _I love her so much." AJ shook her head as Punk nodded with a smile._

" _She's amazing." Punk said, stroking the baby girl's soft cheek with his finger as the doctor's in the room smiled, "Hey, there." Punk smiled, looking down at the baby girl, her big brown eyes staring back at him as AJ laughed through her smile, not really believing they were finally meeting the little girl who'd been growing inside her for months, "I love you." Punk nodded, tapping her tiny nose softly as AJ smiled, not being able to take her eyes off of her._

 _She was the most precious thing in the world._


	14. Showing Face

**Showing Face**

* * *

"What happened?" Toni asked, throwing her purse down on the chair, walking into the room where Freddie was in, fast asleep in bed with a drip in her hand as Punk stood up from the arm chair where he had sat by all day watching Freddie as she slept.

"I… I shouted on her to get up for school. She'd been good recently. She'd been getting up before I even shouted on her." Punk shook his head, his hands and body still shaking inside, "Once I got no reply after a few times I… I knocked on her door and there was nothing, I then walked in and… she was lying on top of the bed… there were pills on the floor… I just… I tried to get her to throw most of them up but I was scared incase… it wasn't all of them, so I called 911 and they rushed her here, got the pills out her system." Punk said.

"Oh my God." Toni placed her hand on her chest, looking over at Freddie, "Poor girl." She whispered, "Why would she…" She paused, looking over at Punk who had his hand over his eyes.

"I'm a terrible father." Punk shook his head, putting his hands on his hips, trying to keep the tears at bay, trying to keep it together somehow, "She tried to… to tell me she didn't feel good, she didn't feel like herself and I just… I brushed it away. I just told her it was part of growing up." He said, "And she could have died."

"You're just in shock." Toni said, "Take a seat." She nodded, guiding him over to the chair as Punk sat down, "You said she was doing good at school, showing up every day, how… how were you supposed to know this was going to happen?" Toni asked, "Most often than not… we don't know when someone is suffering inside-"

"I should have told her about April, maybe then she could have understood… she just thought there was something wrong with her." Punk shook his head, "I shouldn't have ignored it. It was all the same symptoms."

"No, you can't blame yourself." Toni shook her head, "This isn't your fault." She said, placing her hand on his shoulder as Punk just shook his head, running his hands over his face. He'd never felt so scared in his entire life, yet he felt to blame for not helping his daughter when he knew he should have. He felt so irresponsible for not addressing the problems she was having.

"It is my fault." Punk nodded as Toni tilted his chin up to look at her.

"It is not your fault, Phil." Toni shook her head, "You can't predict things like that, and if you knew it was this bad you would have done something, we all would have, it's just went from… zero to one hundred, but she's ok, she's safe and she's ok, and we will be here for her." Toni nodded as Punk sighed, "Dean and your father are on their way." She nodded.

"What do I even say to her?" Punk shook his head, looking over at Freddie as she lay in the bed asleep. He felt like he'd failed her and it was the worst feeling in the world. He knew he should have told her about AJ being bipolar, and he knew he should have paid closer attention to the symptoms she was showing, but he didn't think things were this bad.

"The doctor will explain to her, and we'll be there for her, to tell her it's going to be ok." Toni nodded, "She needs her family right now, more than ever." Toni said, listening as the door opened, fully expecting it to be Dean or Julio, almost falling over when she saw who it was standing at the door.

Punk slowly turned around, looking on as AJ stood by the door, still holding onto the handle as if afraid to be fully in the room, looking on at both of them, her heart racing as she watched Punk get to his feet.

"Oh my God." Toni shook her head with disbelief, as if she had seen a ghost.

"W-What…" Punk shook his head, "What are you…" He couldn't get much more out as he looked across at her in utter disbelief. He really couldn't believe she was actually standing there, that girl he'd fallen so deeply in love, who he still loved and thought about every day, standing in front of him.

"Is she ok?" AJ asked nervously, looking over at Freddie, her heart sinking as she looked on at her daughter asleep in the bed.

"Excuse me?" Punk shook his head with confusion as AJ turned to him, "W-What… why are you here?" Punk said, "How do you just… show up?" He said, "After all this time?" He said, finding it hard to speak properly.

"Convenient timing." Toni folded her arms, glaring across at AJ who looked back at her. She always remembered thinking she never wanted to be on Toni's bad side, and now she was, "This… is not my place." She put her hands up, grabbing her purse, walking by AJ, making sure to get as close to her as possible without touching her, staring at one another as she left the room.

"You… you don't get to just show up… not after all this time." Punk shook his head.

"Just tell me she's ok." AJ said.

"Why would you care?" Punk said with confusion, "You don't know her. You know nothing about her." He said. He couldn't quite comprehend that he was actually looking on at her, after all this time, after the way she had left and not shown her face ever since. He felt like he was just imagining things.

"I do care." AJ whispered.

"Don't make me laugh." Punk said bluntly, "You don't give a shit. She's seventeen. You're a bit fucking late." He said as AJ nodded.

"I know. I know you don't have to tell me. I already know." AJ said, "I just… I was here for work… I saw you and I… I just want to know she's ok."

"She tried to kill herself." Punk said, "She's got all the symptoms." He nodded as AJ looked down at the ground.

"I'm so sorry." AJ shook her head, "I… none of this was supposed to happen."

"What?" Punk shook his head, "What are you doing here, April? What do you think she's going to do when she sees you? Hug you?" He laughed coldly, "She hates you." He said, "She absolutely hates you." He nodded as AJ swallowed the lump in her throat, looking across at him. There was so much history that it was hard not to feel the tension rising between them, even standing at such a distance, "You don't… you can't just show up. You don't get to do that. She needs her family right now and that isn't you." He made clear as she gulped and nodded.

"I shouldn't have…" She paused as she felt the tears run down her cheeks, "I shouldn't have come here." She nodded, opening the door back up and rushing out of it as Punk shook his head, placing his hands behind his head and sighing loudly with so much confusion and disbelief.

He couldn't believe she was actually in front of him again after all this time. It was even more painful to see her and realise he still loved her entirely.

He shook his head and left the room, running down the corridor and out into the main hall to catch up with her, "No, wait!" He called, watching as she tried to walk faster, "AJ!" He yelled as she paused and turned around, "What are you playing at? What… what the hell are you doing?"

"I just wanted to see if she was ok." AJ shook her head, wiping her bloodshot eyes, "That's it."

"Why now?" Punk asked her.

"Because I… I know what it's like in there." AJ shook her head, "And I just… I wanted to make sure she was ok. Am I allowed to do that?" She asked him with frustration. It hurt her all the more to know she couldn't tell him why she really went away.

"You've been gone for seventeen years. You don't know who she is." Punk said, "Why show interest? Why bother?"

"I still care." AJ said.

"Not enough." Punk shook his head, "Is this how it works? You only come out of the shadows when she tries to kill herself?" He asked her, his voice breaking, "Have you not thought about how I've felt every day for the past seventeen years, watching our daughter… our kid, grow up, doing it all by myself?" He said, "And you think you can just… walk in and say you wanna know if she's ok?" Punk said.

"I shouldn't have… I shouldn't have bothered you." AJ said, "I can't be here." She shook her head, pushing the elevator button.

"So you just disappear now? Where have you been? Why did you go? I have so many fucking questions for you that it's hurting my brain to even look at you." He said, "You just… you just left one day. Just like that."

"I was unwell." AJ said.

"You had a daughter that I know you loved, I can't speak for the now but those first few weeks we spent with her, together, you... we made it work, things were ok, and you were good with her-"

"It was best I left." AJ said.

"For who?" Punk asked. It hurt him to be so angry with someone he still loved and cared about so much, and it hurt her to see him so hurt and angry with her because of course she still loved him. He was her daughter's father, her first love, he only love she was ever going to be interested in, and the pain he felt didn't come close to what she felt having to up and leave him and their child together.

"I just wasn't in a good place." AJ shook her head.

"Ok, so say you needed a few months, maybe even a year, fine… but seventeen fucking years, April." Punk said, "Not a peep. Not a call. Not a note. Not a thing. Sometimes I'd wake up sweating, worried that something bad had happened to you-"

"I didn't know you still cared what happened to me." AJ admitted as Punk just looked across at her.

"I just… I can't believe you're here." He shook his head, placing his hand on his forehead feeling lightheaded.

"I should go." AJ said, "I… don't tell anyone I was here." She begged as Punk raised a brow.

"Wait… what?" Punk shook his head, watching her as she walked into the elevator, "April, what are you talking about?" He shook his head, watching as the elevator doors closed over, "April." He shook his head, banging the elevator door and walking away.

He couldn't believe this was actually happening and he couldn't quite understand why it was happening.

He walked back into the psych ward, noticing his mother standing at the coffee machine.

"What the hell is going on?" Toni asked, spotting Punk walking back down the corridor.

"I… I have no idea." Punk said, "She just… shows up?" Punk shook his head, "After all this time?" He said, shaking his head as Toni watched him.

"You don't have to be mad just because everyone expects you to be." Toni reminded him, "I… I saw what you two had, it was special, and maybe that's why this was so devastating, what she did, but… like I always tell you, your actions have consequences and it is your decision, your family, your daughter's mother… you need to choose what you want to do. You're not teenagers anymore. It's not a game." She said.

"I have… so many questions." Punk said, "Why didn't she come find me? She knew where I'd be." Punk said.

"Look I am the least bit pleased that she has just shown her face and left again, I'd like to sit her down for a good few hours and talk to her, just me and her." She said, "But like I said, it is your business and no one elses, you decide what you want to do about this." Toni said, "Like always, nothing is ever simple for us."

"I want to be there for my daughter. She needs me right now. Nothing else… nothing matters." Punk shook his head, not entertaining his own spinning mind, knowing that he had to be there for Freddie, just like he had been for the past seventeen years, just like AJ hadn't. She was his top priority.

"Ok." Toni nodded, "Go see her, I think the doctor just went into the room." She said as Punk nodded, walking on into Freddie's room as Toni sipped her coffee and sighed. She felt it in her bones, something didn't feel right all of a sudden.

Punk walked back into Freddie's room and saw she was awake for the first time, "Hey." Punk said softly, walking over towards her bed as Freddie looked up at him, "Hey, how you feeling?" Punk asked her, sitting down on the edge of the bed.

"Tired." Freddie said quietly as Punk nodded, "Am I… am I in the hospital?" She asked him, even though she knew the answer.

"You're in the psych ward." Punk said as Freddie tilted her head and looked at him, "It's going to be ok, though." He nodded, "I'm here for you, and we're gonna get through this, I promise." He said, trying to push away all the fears and confusion he had felt over the past hour.

"Is there something wrong with me?" Freddie asked him, her voice breaking as she felt tears in her eyes. There had only been a handful of times he had seen her cry as a teenager, she'd always been a very blunt and bold person with very little emotion, but he watched as she just erupted into tears, pulling him over so she had something to hug, sensing she was scared and sighing to himself, trying not to cry himself.

"Hey, it's gonna be ok." Punk sighed, wrapping his arms around her as she sobbed into him, "Everything is ok. I'm here." He sighed, "I'm right here." He nodded.


	15. Being There

**Being There**

* * *

" _She's so beautiful." Toni smiled, standing in the hospital room later on in the day after AJ had given birth to their daughter. Everyone had come to visit, and that meant everyone, even just people who were regulars at the Owl. Punk and AJ were overwhelmed by how great everyone had been with them._

" _She is." Julio nodded in agreement, looking over proudly at his new granddaughter who was stealing everyone's heart, "Do we have a name yet?"_

" _Yeah." Punk nodded, "Freddie Carraro. Brooks of course." He smirked._

" _Where'd you pluck that name from?" Dean asked, "You know she's a girl, right?" He said, sitting over by the chair._

" _Yeah we know." AJ smiled, "Phil really liked Freddie and Carraro is a name that runs in my family. The two r's are silent in the middle. It's more like caharo, but Phil… keeps saying the r's." She smiled up at her boyfriend who just shrugged._

" _Y'all are gonna call her Freddie so… that's easy enough to get your head around." He said._

" _I like it." Toni smiled, "It suits her. Like a little queen." She nodded, "She looks a lot like you April." She nodded._

" _I agree." Julio nodded, "Her eyes are gorgeous." He smiled._

" _How'd you get out of jail?" Punk laughed a little._

" _They dropped charges. My goolish old lawyer friend worked his way around some fake alibi evidence so… should be out of the clear for the time being-"_

" _Didn't they find your fingerprints?" AJ asked, getting comfy in bed. She felt good for having just given birth a few hours ago. She felt alert and awake, and ready to take the world on._

" _They did but not on the actual remains of the body, it was the outsides, and we can argue a million and one reasons how my fingerprints could be there, without me actually having anything to do with it, so… they let me go." Julio nodded, "All in the nick of time too, because I have a granddaughter to meet." He smiled._

" _But you did move that body." AJ said, looking over at him as Julio looked over at her._

" _I did. For family reasons." Julio nodded, "We never turn our backs on each other in times of crisis, and I didn't." He said._

" _Enough about that." Toni shook her head, "We're here to celebrate this little lady being born." She smiled, "Precious girl." She whispered, placing a kiss on Freddie's forehead as AJ smiled as she watched._

* * *

Freddie didn't want anyone else in the room and only wished for her father by her side. She was scared and frightened. She couldn't quite remember what drove her to making the unthinkable decision of swallowing a full box of pills. She remembered waking up with a headache, feeling that dead weight on her shoulders, and feeling just as helpless as she had been before, only this time, she just snapped, she got to breaking point and she no longer wanted to feel that hollow and heavy feeling anymore. She just wanted it to stop.

"You want a drink?" Punk asked her, sitting by her bed waiting for the doctor to come by and speak to them. He wasn't going to mention anything about AJ, he knew Freddie was dealing with enough right now, and he himself didn't quite understand what was even going on with AJ. He still couldn't believe he had actually saw her.

"I'm ok." Freddie said. She felt tired and sad. She normally didn't like to admit to how powerless she felt in times of need, but at this moment, she knew she needed help, possibly more help than she ever expected. She was just glad her father was here with her.

"Hey, Freddie." The doctor, doctor James walked into the room with a clipboard as Punk turned around, "How are you feeling?" He asked her.

"I'm… ok." Freddie nodded, weary of what she said, wondering if this was all a test, if she was being examined and she didn't know it. He teenage brain was starting to do complete overtime.

"You know what… what happened here, yeah?" James asked.

"I tried to kill myself." Freddie said.

"Yeah." James nodded, "Any time we have a suicidal person admitted, it's routine that we keep them here until we consider them healthy to go back home. Now Freddie I know this is a lot for you, you're very young and… in need of help, but you're gonna get that help here. Ok, you're gonna talk to specialists, psychologists, people who will understand exactly why you're feeling the way you are." He said, "And then maybe we can get to the bottom of what's going on, and find ways to deal with that." He nodded, "There is absolutely no reason to be scared. You'll be safe here." He said as Freddie just nodded slowly.

"Juliet is going to be your nurse, she'll take care of you, answer any general questions. She'll be around soon to see you. In the meantime, you should rest, you've been through a lot." He said as Freddie just nodded, "And if you don't mind, could I borrow your dad?" He asked.

"He's all yours." Freddie smiled tiredly, resting her head back on the pillow as Punk smiled, rubbing her arm softly before getting up and leaving the room with the doctor. It killed him to see his daughter in this frame of mind. She just wasn't herself.

"I know this is a difficult time for you." James said, speaking with Punk outside the room, "I just want to ask you a couple of quick questions." He said as Punk nodded, "Has Freddie ever sought help for any mental condition before this?" He asked.

"No." Punk shook his head.

"She's at school, right?" James asked.

"Yeah, she's at school." Punk nodded.

"Any mental illness that runs in the family?" James asked as Punk paused, watching James look up at him.

"Her mom." Punk nodded, "She's bipolar." He said as James nodded slowly.

"Ok." James said, "Is her mom around?"

"No. She is not." Punk said firmly, "It's just me."

"Ok." James nodded, "We're gonna do everything we can to give Freddie the help she needs. We have the best doctors and specialists here in mental illness. Freddie will be evaluated, she'll be asked questions, we almost might have to ask you some questions as well as other family members who are close to her. She'll take part in a program of therapy if she feels it helps her, and we will try and figure out what's going on with her, and see if we can medicate her with something." James said.

"Does she have to stay here?" Punk asked, "It's just I would… I would feel better staying under the same roof as her, you know." Punk said nervously.

"I completely understand that but… she's safer here than she would be at home. She'll be monitored closely." James said as Punk just nodded.

"Ok." Punk said, "Can I… bring her some things? Is she allowed anything in?" He asked.

"Here is a list of things you can and can't bring into the ward." James said, handing him the letter as Punk skimmed through the list, noticing that there was way more things he couldn't bring in than he could. He figured if this was where his daughter was living for the time being, she had a right to have some things that made her feel better.

"She can't listen to her music?" Punk asked.

"We don't permit any objects with chords or anything that could set off any patient." James said.

"What about art things… she… she likes art, she's good at drawing-"

"We can provide that for her here." James said as Punk just nodded slowly.

"But you don't have the good pens that she likes. The ones I got for her birthday." Punk said as James sighed.

"Mr Brooks I know this is hard-"

"No, why can't she just have some of her things in with her?" Punk said, "Huh? She can't just be in her own silence all day." He said as Toni crept up once noticing Punk getting agitated.

"Ok, son. Let's just get you back over here." Toni nodded, "Thank you, doctor." She said as James just smiled softly, walking off down the corridor as Punk scoffed.

"She's gonna hate this. She can't listen to music or draw or… do everything she likes doing, things that make her feel better." Punk said, starting to get angry to take over from his sadness.

"They will provide things for her here. She needs to get the help, Phil." Toni nodded.

"I know that." Punk said, "I just… I don't want her to be frightened. Or alone." He sighed.

"She isn't. She has all of us, and when she gets out of this place, she'll still have all of us." Toni said, "You just need to be the dad you've always been, the only man she trusts, and tell her it's going to be fine. That's what she needs. The same way you did with April."

"I can't… I don't think I can do this again." Punk sighed. He'd already saw one woman he loved in a psych ward, scared and alone, to have another, one whom he loved with all his heart, it was breaking him.

"You can. She's depending on you." Toni said as Punk sighed nodding to himself and standing back up straight.

"You can go home." Punk said, "Just… let dad know what's going on. I'll swing by on my way home."

"Ok." Toni nodded, "It's going to be ok. I know that." She said, rubbing his arm softly as Punk nodded, watching her leave down the corridor as he walked back into Freddie's room.

"That nurse is nice." Freddie nodded after meeting the nurse who was apparently going to be taking care of her, "What did the doctor ask you?"

"Just some health questions about you." Punk nodded, walking over to the chair beside the bed, "Listen to me, I don't know how long they'll want to keep you here, until you feel better I assume, but… I want you to know that I'm here. I'm right here for you. I'll be here morning noon and night. I know this may feel like the end of the world to you but… things will get better."

"Well I don't think they can get worse." Freddie mumbled with a small smile as Punk smiled, spotting his fearless daughter again which made him sigh with relief.

"You're right. They can't. Which means it's only gonna get better, and you're gonna get help." He nodded, "I am… so sorry I didn't… I didn't do anything about this, about what you were trying to tell me. I should have listened and said something, done something-"

"It's not your fault." Freddie shook her head, "I would have probably told you no to any sort of doctor's appointment or therapy anyway." She said, "I'm just… scared that I actually… wanted to end my life." She said, "And I… I still feel that emptiness, and I'm scared it's going to happen again." She admitted truthfully.

"That's why you're here." Punk nodded, swallowing the lump in his throat, "You're gonna get better here so those feelings, you can control them, and they can go away." He said, "You are without a doubt, one of the strongest people I know and you're gonna push through this. I know you." He said as Freddie smiled.

"I'm glad I'm not dead." Freddie nodded as Punk took a deep breath and nodded, tears glistening in his eyes.

"Me too." He nodded, his voice breaking, "Me too, kid." He sighed, rubbing his eyes to make sure the tears didn't fall down so visibly, "It seems like a disaster right now but it's gonna get better, I promise." He said, taking her hand and kissing it as she smiled and nodded.

* * *

Punk stayed with Freddie for the rest of the night. He desperately didn't want to leave her. He was frightened to, but he did know she was in the best place possible. As he was leaving the psych ward to go home, he just couldn't help himself, walking over to the front desk.

"Hey, I… I was wondering if you could tell me about an April Mendez… she works here?" Punk asked the receptionist.

"She's an on call psychological therapist." Jessie at the reception nodded, "She's here every now and then, why?" She asked.

"Would you be able to give me any sort of details? Her number? Address? Even her work number?"

"I… shouldn't give out anyone's personal information." Jessie told him truthfully.

"What about if I'm her daughter's dad, her daughter who is a patient here right now." Punk said as Jessie looked up at him and sighed.

"I can give you her work address." Jessie said, writing AJ's office address down and handing it over to him.

"Thank you." Punk nodded to her, turning around and leaving the ward, putting the address into his pocket. He got a kick out of it being on the north side, and wondered if she had really been living such a normal and care free life all this time. Seeing her again, although he was still baffled with the fact he was still completely in love with her, it almost brought everything back and he still could not wrap his head around why she left. He'd come to terms with it because he had to, but her showing her face so suddenly again was unsettling for him.

He wanted his answers now.


	16. Suspicious

**Suspicious**

* * *

" _I am… literally in love with her. Look… look at her sleeping." AJ smiled, standing in the nursery where Freddie was sleeping her crib whilst Punk dumped some gift bags in the corner. They'd just gotten home from the hospital and had to make several trips due to the generous gifts that people had given them._

" _Who got her this?" Punk chuckled, looking in one of the bags as he brought out a cuddly top type black stuffed bird. AJ turned over and smiled._

" _I don't know. Probably your dad." AJ smiled, taking it from him and smiling, "It can sit over here." She said, sitting it on display on one of the shelves as Punk smiled._

" _We can look through the rest later." Punk said, walking over to the crib as he looked down at Freddie. She was such a little angel and he couldn't believe that he was her father. It still felt so surreal._

" _She's so beautiful." AJ shook her head, stroking the baby girls cheek softly. She felt like a badass for having a pretty normal pregnancy and a pretty normal birth. Her body felt great, she felt great, and was completely in love with their daughter. She could never imagine doing anything else other than taking her home with them._

" _She is." Punk nodded in agreement._

" _Hey, you two." Toni said quietly as she walked into the nursery, "No need to stand and stare at her all day." She reminded them, "C'mon, leave her be." She said, "You should be resting." She nodded to AJ after pulling them both out of the room._

" _I feel fine." AJ shrugged._

" _Well then there's something wrong with you." Toni teased with a smile as AJ just smiled back, "There was another spray painting incident at the owl this morning." She nodded to them both._

" _What?" Punk shook his head, "Why did no one say?"_

" _Because you were bringing Freddie home and I didn't want to ruin that." Toni said._

" _What did it say?" AJ asked._

" _It said we know, in red spray paint over the doors. Your father is now under the impression that someone somewhere has evidence, maybe footage of some sort, of him disposing that body." Toni nodded as Punk ran his hand through his hair, "So he's trying to work around it-"_

" _I should be helping him." Punk said._

" _No, you should be here taking care of your daughter. You have a baby now. That becomes with responsibilities."_

" _So does being at the owl." Punk said, "Dad is doing this all by himself-"_

" _He isn't. Dean is helping. You know how big our membership is, he's got help, that isn't an issue." Toni said, "You just focus on that gorgeous little girl in there, and also getting some sleep." She narrowed her eyes at AJ who just nodded._

* * *

After not sleeping much, Punk got up bright and early and packed a bag of things for Freddie. He of course packed her some clothes, mostly just sweats and pyjamas so she was comfortable, he brought some toiletry stuff, and despite what the doctor told him, he also brought some things for her entertain herself with, like her art books and pens, some reading books, he didn't want her to be beside herself with boredom.

He then left the house but he didn't plan on going straight to the hospital, he took a detour and ended up on the north, parked outside a therapy office as he saw it was opened which meant she was no doubt inside.

He got out of the car and walked on in. Many people may have criticised the fact he hadn't looked for her, that he could have easily asked around, or went on a search hunt for her, but he assumed that her walking out was her biggest 'leave me alone' ever, and he wasn't going to get on his knees and beg her to come back, especially if she was unhappy, but it just didn't feel right, and he wanted answers.

He walked around the office hall, not really knowing where he was going until he saw her name on one of the doors, knocking lightly before walking on in, looking over at her behind a desk.

"Phil… w-what are you doing?" AJ shook her head, standing up, "You can't be here." She shook her head worriedly.

"I can." Punk said, "You… you show up and then you disappear. Now my brain done spinning last night and I figured if you didn't care, like I thought you didn't, you probably wouldn't have showed up at all, you wouldn't care, and maybe that's me being soft on you, but it also makes me really confused as to what the hell is going on. I get things were hard, we had no clue what we were doing, you got diagnosed just a few weeks after we had Freddie, it was a lot to take, but I never once thought that you could just walk away from us. From me and Freddie who you were supposed to love."

"I do love." AJ corrected him as he looked across at her, "I just couldn't be around you, that's it. It's not confusing or hard to understand. It was better for everyone if I left."

"You keep saying that and I want to know who that everyone is?" Punk asked, "Because it wasn't me, wasn't Freddie. My mom was devastated, you were like a daughter to her." He said.

"I was sick and I didn't want that burden to be on you. So I left. Have I thought about you and our daughter every day? Yes. Do I feel like a shit mother? Absolutely. But I did what I had to." She said.

"Why not come back earlier? If you cared, and you got better, I mean… clearly you found your feet." He looked around the office, "Why not come back when she was younger? When I could have understood that you just needed time. It wasn't easy, we were kids, I get it… but it's been seventeen years, April and I've not heard a single thing from you and now… now you just appear."

"I wouldn't have if I didn't see that Freddie was in hospital." AJ said.

"That's nice to know." Punk said sarcastically.

"How is she?" She asked.

"She's… not herself." Punk nodded, "She's tired. Fed up. Doesn't want to be here." Punk said, "You know how that feels? As a father? To look at your kid and realise that she… she wanted to die, she was happy with dying? It was just as difficult as seeing you in there." He said as AJ sighed.

"Phil, I already feel bad about how this has ended. If you're here to yell at me and tell me off, it's not anything I haven't already said to myself." She said, "It was the hardest thing I've ever done-"

"And the stupidest." Punk said, "We would have been fine. You would have gotten help. Treatment. My family were there to support you, my family became yours. But instead you went off on your own?"

"I thought it was best." AJ said, "I know you're confused, and angry-"

"I'm upset." Punk nodded, "And I'm annoyed at myself that I'm looking at you right now and I still love you." He said as she swallowed the lump in her throat, "We had something, something I was never going to find again. You were my best friend. The one person in the world I trusted more than anything… and you left. Just like that." He said.

"Phil, please." AJ shook her head, drying her tears. It was killing her to see how hurt he was, and it killed her even more to not be able to tell him the truth.

"Have you been watching us or something? Is that how you've been getting by. Or is this really the first time you've saw me since we were eighteen."

"This is the first time I've saw you." AJ nodded, looking over at him. He still looked like that eighteen year old boy she fell in love with. His hair was dark now, short and slicked back, he had a little bit of a beard and she could see his arms were fully tattooed which made her figure he worked in the parlour like he always planned to. She was still unbelievable attracted to him, she knew that much.

"And Freddie?" Punk asked.

"I've just saw her a few times." AJ shook her head, "It was too hard. I… Phil I need to stay away, it's better-"

"You keep saying shit like that and it keeps making my mind do overtime. Why do you need to stay away, April?" Punk asked her, "We could have been fine. You would have gotten better, we would have eventually moved out, we… we could have been a family, and I wouldn't have had to raise my kid alone, there-there were times my mom wanted to take custody of Freddie because I was so fucking confused and hurt and I had no idea what to do anymore." He said.

"I'm so sorry." AJ shook her head, tears running down her cheeks, "I never meant for this to happen." She said, feeling awful that he had suffered. He and their daughter were the last people she wanted to hurt, and she knew she had by walking away, but she had no choice and it killed her that she couldn't tell him that.

"So this is just your life?" Punk asked after taking a few seconds to keep his cool, "You just… work? You got a husband? Other kids? Is that why you don't want anything to do with us?"

"I live alone in my apartment." AJ said, "All I do is work." She agreed with him, "There's no husband or other kids." She shook her head as Punk just looked across at her.

"And you still want nothing to do with us? You showed up in the hospital, disappeared and said no one could know you were there." He said, "Why?"

"I just know that it'd hurt your family, that's what I meant." She said quickly, "And if Freddie sees me… she's going through enough, I… she doesn't need this right now." She nodded.

"What if she does? You ever thought about that? Ever thought about if she did need a mom?" He asked her, "She's stubborn, like you, she says she doesn't need a mom or want one but I know she does. I know she's jealous when she sees her friends with their moms, and it kills me because I know you loved her, but she doesn't think that. Why would you love her if you left? That's what she thinks." Punk said.

"I do love her." AJ said, "It has killed me to not see her-"

"Then why have you stayed away?" Punk asked, "What is going on with you?" He shook his head.

"Nothing." AJ said, "Nothing is going on, Phil. There's just been too much time wasted and it's… I can't just come back now."

"So I'm supposed to walk out of here and not see you again until another seventeen years? Is that it? Or the next time Freddie tries to kill herself-" He scolded as AJ looked across at him.

"There won't be a next time. She will get help." AJ said.

"I know she will, and I won't let her get to that place again." Punk said, "And you know what, she could learn a lot from you. She needed a mom to tell her about this illness, for her to not feel so alone and like there was something wrong with her… you could have been there for her." Punk said, "But what… I'm supposed to believe that you left because it was best for everyone?"

"It was." AJ nodded, "You shouldn't have come here." AJ shook her head, "It's… it's too complicated now and…. You just can't be here. You can't be seen here." She sighed anxiously. The thought of one of her parents walking through the door right now gave her chills. She knew the consequences. It was the reason she left in the first place.

"I can't be seen here?" Punk shook his head, "What-What does that mean? Because it's the north. Don't worry I don't got my tattoo out on show." He said.

"No, I don't mean that just… you shouldn't be here." AJ sighed as there was a knock at the door, watching as Marie stuck her head in.

"April, your dad is here." Marie said as AJ placed her hand on her forehead.

"Wait… what?" Punk turned to her.

"Should I wait or…" Marie looked on at the very strange set up.

"Uh…" AJ started to panic, "No… uh… bring him in, just give me a minute and tell him to come in." She nodded as Marie closed the door over, "Ok, in here." AJ said, pushing him forward towards the toilet in her office.

"What the fuck is going on?" Punk asked her.

"Just… stay in here, stay quiet, please." AJ begged him as he looked down at the fear in her eyes. He nodded, watching as she closed the bathroom door over, wiping her sweaty palms on her black dress, returning to behind her desk as she watched her father walk into the office, painting a fake smile on her face.

"Nice to see you, mija." Rick smiled, walking into the office, "I'm not here for long, just stopping by. Your mother wants to know if you're coming for dinner tonight?" He asked her.

"Uh… yeah, sure." AJ nodded, "I might be a little late with work but… I'll be there." AJ said.

"Great." Rick nodded, "How has work been? Any… anything going on?" He asked her.

"Not a lot, dad." AJ said with confusion, not realising he was trying to figure out if she knew about Freddie or not. She was doing a good job of pretending that she didn't.

"Ok, well… I'll see you tonight then. I have to get to work." He told her as AJ nodded.

"See you later." AJ said, watching as her father walked out of the office, closing the door behind him as she dramatically sighed and watched as the bathroom door opened, watching Punk walk out.

"Last time you shoved me into a small space I had just broke your virginity. Nice to know we've made progress." He nodded as she stood up, "Since when were you best friends with your parents?"

"Phil, you really just need to go. Maybe you'll never understand this, maybe I don't want you to, but you have to go, and please…" It killed her to say it, "Please don't come back." She said with a lump in her throat. To say this to the man she still loved, to the man she never stopped loving, and to push him further away with their daughter, it was breaking her down.

"You're hiding something." Punk said quietly, "I don't know what, and I don't know why… but… I know you better than anyone, don't forget that." He warned her as AJ just looked down at the ground, "Secrets always come out in the end. Remember that." He said as she looked over at him, watching as he turned around and walked out of the office.

She placed her hand on her forehead, leaning against her desk as she tried to calm herself down.

* * *

 **A/N: Let me know what you think! Thanks for the reviews.**


	17. The Reason

**The Reason**

* * *

"Hey, how you feeling?" Punk smiled, walking into Freddie's room where she was sitting up looking through a book which the hospital had given her. He had to sit for a few minutes in his car outside, to get himself together after talking to AJ. It was still something he just couldn't wrap his head around, and seeing her talking to her father again, it wasn't the April he knew, the April he loved, and he knew she knew that as well. There was something else going on, and he was almost scared to find out what.

"Ok." Freddie said, "They keep giving me these tablets that make me wanna sleep." She yawned as Punk nodded, walking over and taking a seat by the chair, dumping the bag he'd packed for her beside him.

"That's just to keep you calm." Punk nodded, "It's ok if you wanna sleep. It's a lot going on." He said.

"I spoke with a psycho doctor this morning." She said as he looked at her, "What? That's what he was." She shrugged.

"Just… don't say that to anyone else." Punk shook his head, noticing her acting more like herself, "What'd he say?"

"He just asked me a few questions." Freddie said, resting her head back on the pillow, "I'm assuming that you knew mom is bipolar." She said, looking over at him as he ran his hand through his hair.

"I was gonna tell you but yesterday didn't feel right, there was a lot going on-"

"What about before I even got put in here. You could have told me then." Freddie said, "You could have made sense of all of this, how I was feeling and you didn't-"

"Freddie, it's not like that. I just… you're still young, I thought maybe you were just… going through a phase, and I know that's bad on my end, and I'm sorry, but… mom has nothing to do with this, not really." He reminded her, "You should focus on you, whatever the doctors determine, you'll get better."

"It's genetic." Freddie said, "The doctor said that it's most likely bipolar disorder." She said, "Is that why mom left?" She asked sadly, "Was she really bad?" She asked as Punk sighed.

"Yeah, she… she was put in here just a few weeks after you were born. She left when she got out." Punk said.

"And now I have it." Freddie whispered to herself.

"Hey, you're gonna talk to a lot of people in here, and they're gonna determine what's going on, just because it can be genetic doesn't mean that's what it is." Punk said, "No matter what, we're gonna deal with it and find ways that help you through it." He said as Freddie just nodded.

"Did you bring my art things?" Freddie asked him, sitting up, folding her legs in a basket.

"Yeah but… the doctors are all strict in here, basically told me not to bring anything in for you, so… just take it out at night." He said, "It's all in there." He told her as she smiled and nodded, "Also, I got a text from Jenny." Punk said, "She wants to know if you're up for visitors?" He asked her, "She also sent me five love hearts if you must know." Punk said as Freddie rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"Of course she did." Freddie shook her head, "Uh… maybe tomorrow, yeah." She said. She wasn't allowed access to her cell phone in the ward so she was finding it hard not being in communication with her friends, "Did you bring me clothes?" She asked him.

"Yeah, it's all there." Punk nodded.

"I'm gonna go change." She said, getting out of the bed and picking the bag up. It was hard for her to lie in a bed all day when there wasn't anything wrong with her body, "You should also bring me in some food because it's disgusting here." She told him as he nodded with a smile.

"You can write me a list." He said as she nodded, walking by him in the hospital gown to go change in the bathroom as he smiled. He knew he had to focus on her, that was his main priority, no matter what his mind wanted to think about regarding AJ. His daughter was his primal concern at the minute.

* * *

" _Good morning, baby." AJ smiled, picking up Freddie from her crib. She was a few weeks old now and although it had been challenging for both her and Punk to get used to their new responsibility in life, they loved their daughter so much, that was clear._

 _Most mornings she had the house to herself as everyone was out working, and so she enjoyed some alone time with her baby girl. She didn't want to say to anyone, but she had been feeling a little all over the place since coming home from the hospital. She put it down to her being a new mom who was unsure of what to do, but sometimes she felt herself not sleeping, or feeling overwhelming feelings of anxiety and danger. She couldn't describe it and didn't want to put the burden of it on someone else._

 _She was sitting down feeding her daughter on the couch when there was a knock at the door. She places Freddie down on her little play mat which she liked to just lie on and stare up, and she headed out to answer the door, opening it up where she saw her father standing._

" _Dad." AJ shook her head with confusion._

" _Morning, mija." Rick said._

" _What are you doing here?" AJ asked, "I-I don't want you here." She made clear._

" _I just… I'd like to talk with you, if you let me." He said as AJ stared at him, curious as to what he had to say, but with no intentions to forgive him or her mother for the way they had been._

" _Ok." AJ nodded quietly, letting him in and closing the door behind him, following him into the living room as Rick walked in and looked over at Freddie lying on her little mat._

" _You had her then." Rick nodded, not showing much affection of the baby girl, quickly turning away and looking on at AJ._

" _It would appear so." AJ nodded, folding her arms, "What is it? What do you want?" AJ asked him, "Because morning time is busy for me. I have things to do."_

" _Where is everyone?" Rick asked with confusion._

" _Working." AJ said, "They do live normal lives, dad. They aren't just mobsters who eat, breathe and sleep crime. They're good people."_

" _They've just brainwashed you, that's all." Rick sighed, "April, I'm here, and I know you won't like it, but it's what it's had to come to." He said as AJ looked over at him, "You can't stay here. I… I just can't have it." He said as AJ laughed immediately._

" _You're truly one of a kind, dad." AJ nodded, "Is that why you came here?"_

" _April, I'm not laughing." Rick said, "You will leave this house, this family, including that baby." He said, "And you will come back to where we raised you and brought you up." He said._

" _Dad-"_

" _Or else your boyfriend spends the rest of his life in prison, along with Julio." Rick said as AJ tilted her head and looked at him._

" _What are you talking about?" AJ shook her head._

" _I know." Rick said as AJ paused, "I know all of it. The body. Julio hiding it. I know." He said as AJ just shook her head, "But I know even more. I know who the body was and I know who killed him."_

" _What-What are you talking?" AJ shook her head._

" _April, your boyfriend is a murderer." Rick nodded._

" _Just stop. Stop it. Stop trying to get in my head. What would you know about anything that goes on in this family." AJ spat._

" _I have connections." Rick said, "Why do you think Julio covered for it? Why do you think they took Phil in in the first place? As if murder isn't good enough but he didn't just murder anyone." He said, "No, he murdered his own father. His biological father."_

" _Stop it. You are… reaching so far." AJ laughed a little._

" _It's the truth, April. This is what you're living amongst." Rick said, "I have video evidence of Phil being the one who killed his father, and I also have proof that Julio covered for him-"_

" _This happened years ago-"_

" _Correct, Phil was fifteen. It was then this family took him in." Rick said, "I know things, April. More than you think. More than you know." Rick said._

" _You're just bluffing." AJ said, not believing a damn thing he had to say._

" _You think so? I thought you would." Rick said, getting his phone out, "But… here, if you don't believe me, watch this." He nodded as AJ looked at him, looking on at the phone, taking it from him and looking on at the footage, watching closely and gulping as she watched her boyfriend conspired with Julio._

" _How did you… where did you get this?" AJ shook her head, looking on at the footage which made her boyfriend incredibly guilty as well as Julio._

" _I knew Phil's father. Don't get me wrong, I knew he was a bastard, alcoholic, abusive, I heard about his relationship with his son and when I hadn't heard from him, I… I got curious. The wife just assumed he'd walked out on her and I found it interesting that Phil became a part of this family at the exact time he supposedly disappeared."_

" _Since when you were a detective?" AJ spat._

" _I just know things about this side of town. There's always secrets behind the secrets." Rick said, "And I will not have my own daughter amongst it. Amongst this toxic environment. And you will not have his baby. That is his responsibility."_

" _She's my daughter." AJ shook her head, "And I love her."_

" _Well it's your decision." Rick said, snatching the phone back from her, "You can carry on like this conversation never happened, and watch your scumbag boyfriend go to prison for murder whilst you raise his daughter on your own, or you leave, you pack your bags and you leave this toxic family and don't ever come back to it." He spat as AJ shook her head, tears in her eyes, turning over as she looked at Freddie._

" _You can't do that to me… I'm… I'm your own daughter." AJ shook her head, "Why would you want to hurt me and… and take me away from my baby, or take my boyfriend away from me… if… if this is true, why didn't you come forward before? If you've known all this time."_

" _Because I keep myself to myself. I don't want any business on this side of town, but now you're here, I have no choice. You've put me in this situation." Rick said._

" _Phil's father… he wasn't a good man." AJ shook her head._

" _Are you really going to stand there and justify murder?" Rick laughed._

" _He was a young boy, hurt and confused… and Julio just helped him… please don't… don't use this against me. Don't make me choose between my baby and my boyfriend."_

" _It's simple. Either he goes to prison and you get to stay here with a family who will eventually hate you, or you disappear, get out whilst you can, and I promise, this footage will never be given over to anyone."_

" _You are a bastard." AJ cried. She couldn't believe this had happened. She wasn't mad that her boyfriend had kept this from her. She cared more about the fact her father was literally the devil incarnate, "He was just young and scared. Please… don't do this to me… or him."_

" _I am. This is a choice you have to make April." Rick said, "I'll give you a few weeks, you can think about it, what you want for your future, how you want things to be." He said, "If you say you love him like you do… I don't think you have a choice but to leave." He smiled as AJ shook her head._

" _You're going to hell." AJ spat as Rick grabbed her wrist and pulled her forward as she winced a little._

" _And if I hear or see that you have told anyone about this conversation, anyone, I will have that baby stolen during the night." He hissed as AJ gulped, looking up at him, "I'd like to think I've made myself very clear with all of this. Yes?" He said as AJ nodded, ripping her wrist back from him and massaging it softly, "Good. A few weeks, April. Decide how you want this to go." He said as AJ gulped, watching as he walked out of the house, placing her hand on her forehead and siting down on the couch, her heart racing as she placed her hand over her mouth, looking over at Freddie on her mat as she made soft little noises._

 _She had no idea what she was supposed to do._


	18. Secretive

**Secretive**

* * *

" _How do you know this will work?" Laurel asked once Rick had returned home after speaking with AJ earlier in the morning._

" _Because I do." Rick said, "That video evidence proves a lot, and they still don't have identity of the body so… story checks out. Trust me, April will squirm and come back home. I know it. She's blinded by this fool and the thought of him going to prison probably terrifies her. She'll come home." He nodded._

" _So are you going to stop paying people to spray paint that club?" Laurel asked._

" _I'll pay whoever I have to, to get April back here. She does belong with those people." Rick shook his head._

" _You can talk a good talk, that's clear, but they're smarter than we think, what if she blabs to Julio or Toni, and then they can come after us." Laurel said._

" _She won't say a thing. I told her I'd take the baby if she said anything to anyone." Rick said._

" _How did you even get that footage of that boy and Julio?" Laurel asked him._

" _Well I knew the boy's father. His biological father. A drunk. Abusive. I got the scoop on the fact that Phil was hanging around with Julio more and more, so I thought I'd just go do some digging. That's when I found them one night, moving a body down by the quary." He said, "And then it was convenient that his father disappeared since then, and Phil moved in with his new family." Rick said._

" _So you know he definitely killed his father?" Laurel asked._

" _No, I just added that in so April would think that. Regardless if he killed that person or not, they both hid a body, that's years in prison, maybe even life, I just added in his father to scare her." Rick said, "Which she was." He laughed a little._

" _You're sure she will come home?" Laurel asked._

" _I said she had a few weeks to make up her mind but… I know she will comply." Rick said, "She would rather walk out of that family than tear apart. I know her."_

" _She has a baby with him, how are we to be sure that she would walk out on her child?" Laurel asked._

" _I was pretty persuasive." Rick said, "She knows I'm serious. It's up to her how she deals with the whole thing." He said._

" _I just can't stand her near that place. That family. Acting like one of them." Laurel shook her head, "Pregnant at eighteen… our daughter." She sighed, "It's just not acceptable."_

" _Well she'll be home soon enough." Rick said as Laurel smiled and nodded._

* * *

" _How has she been today?" Punk asked, lying up in bed later that night with Freddie lying on his chest whilst AJ walked into the room with a glass of water. She'd been a mess all day and was trying to keep it together so Punk wouldn't notice. She was good at doing that by now. She just couldn't stop hearing her father's threats, how serious he was, and the footage he had. It terrified her that he had this grip on her._

" _She was great. Like she always is." AJ smiled, sitting her glass of water down on the table beside the bed, climbing in beside her boyfriend and laying on her side as she watched Freddie sleep on his bare chest, "She likes sleeping on you." AJ nodded, stroking her daughter's tiny hand._

" _I'm a comfy guy, what can I say?" Punk smiled._

 _Sometimes she liked to just get lost in their little family. Close their bedroom door over and escape where it was just the three of them. Everything else seemed so loud around them, and all she wanted was for both of them to be safe, and she felt that was in her hands now. The thought of leaving them both made her stomach turn, but the thought of watching her boyfriend go to prison for years was even more heart-breaking._

" _I wish we could just run away." She whispered, stroking Freddie's cheek softly as Punk turned to her._

" _Why?" He laughed a little._

" _I don't know." AJ said, "Just somewhere it could be just the three of us." She said, shuffling closer to him to feel his body, "Would be nice."_

" _It would but… we got family here." Punk said as AJ nodded._

" _Of course." AJ said, "I'm just… saying things out loud." She smiled, even though it sounded perfect to run away from everything right now, but he was right, leaving this family who cared about them both wasn't an option either, "Phil." She said quietly._

" _Mhm?" Punk said, smiling down at Freddie as he watched her closely._

" _Do you really not know what's going on with your dad and this body that he hid?" She said. She wasn't mad that he had it kept from her, it wasn't something she expected him to hit out with._

" _I have no clue." Punk said, "I'm just staying out of it, my dad always gets out of these things."_

" _If he didn't, he could go away for a long time." AJ reminded him._

" _They're not gonna charge him with anything yet, and I don't think they will." Punk said, "Why the sudden worry?" He turned to her as she just shook her head._

" _No reason." AJ said, kissing his shoulder, "Just don't want anything bad to happen that's all." She whispered._

" _Nothing bad is gonna happen." Punk promised, "Things are fine." He smiled as she nodded, resting her head into him, closing her eyes over and staying close to him. She felt like she had no choice. Her head was spinning and she had no idea what to do or what she could say. She couldn't take her boyfriend's life away from him, but the thought of missing out on her daughter's life and a life with her boyfriend herself made her feel ill. She had underestimated how truly horrid her parents were and which seedy connections they had which would ensure she returned back to them on her own. She felt lost._

* * *

"How did that go?" Punk asked, watching as Freddie walked back into her room, sporting some pulp fiction pyjamas with her hair tied up in a messy bun.

"Weird." Freddie shook her head, closing the door over, walking around her bed and climbing on top, "Some of the questions had like… no correlation to mental health like she asked me if I've ever had a pet." She shook her head with confusion.

"It's therapy. Normally the questions aren't always mentally based. And remember it doesn't work for everyone." Punk nodded. Freddie had been in the psych ward for a few days now. She was definitely finding back her brightness from what he could see, but she wasn't ready to come home. She'd not quite came to terms with her suicide attempt and the hospital were doing a lot of good to try and help her and find out what worked best to help her.

She'd been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. He was glad to see how well she took it. She wasn't freaked out or upset. He believed she was actually relieved that she finally had an answer. Now it was about working on what helped her the best.

He spent most of his day with her in the hospital. The doctors were good with allowing him to be with her for most of the day.

"It just felt weird and awkward." Freddie said, folding her legs in a basket, "Did you bring me any food?" She asked him.

"Yeah. Donut. Some chips." He handed her the bag as she took it from him, "Eat it quick or they'll throw me out of here." He said as she smiled and took the donut out of the box, "What do you think is working for you the best?" He asked her.

"The medication definitely." Freddie nodded, wiping her mouth from icing as Punk smiled, "And I think they've got the right dosage now so it's not making me sleepy it's just… making me feel better and more in control." She said, "The therapy is ok it just makes me a little uncomfortable but I think that's just cause I'm not used to talking." She admitted truthfully as Punk nodded.

"You know, I know I've not… been there when you probably needed me but… you can talk to me about anything. Maybe I made that hard for you before but-"

"You didn't make it hard." Freddie shook her head, "I just didn't know how to bring it up. It sounds weird in your head." She said as Punk nodded, "How long was mom in the hospital for?" She asked. She almost saw her mom in a different light now that she knew they shared the same illness. She still couldn't understand why she left, but she felt closer to the woman she'd never met just by them sharing the same illness, and she wanted to know more.

"I think it was two weeks." Punk said.

"Did you know there was something wrong with her?" Freddie asked him.

"Toni did. I… I don't know I just… it wasn't that I didn't notice, there was a lot going on at the time with Julio and the bar… my head was in so many places, I don't wanna say that I neglected her but… I don't feel like I did enough to check up on her. And now I've done the same with you." Punk sighed.

"Hey, stop it." Freddie said, "You always taught me to never feel sorry for myself. That stands for you too. You didn't do this. We're all very good at hiding what hurts us." She said, "Why… Why did you never tell me she was bipolar?"

"Because I didn't want you to be looking for it in yourself. Toni wanted me to tell you when you were about fourteen, fifteen but… I thought it would scare you, make you think you were gonna end up with this disorder, so I just waited off until… well until it was too late." He shrugged.

"Well I'm getting help now." Freddie shrugged, "My doctor even said he'd bake me a cake for my birthday."

"He still thinks you'll be in here?" Punk asked.

"Well it's only next week." Freddie said as Punk nodded.

"This is the last place I wanted you to spend your eighteenth birthday, Fred." Punk sighed to himself.

"It's ok." Freddie nodded, "I could be a lot worse places." She reminded him.

"You still haven't told me what you want yet." Punk said.

"You could buy me that really cute trainee doctor." Freddie nodded, "The one with the earring." She said as Punk just rolled his eyes.

"He is kinda cute." Punk agreed.

"Right?" Freddie said, "Or if that's too expensive then… you know I'm easy. I'm running out of those pens you got me last year." She told him.

"I'll be on the case then." Punk smiled, "You seem a lot brighter today." He nodded. It had been hard to see her for the past few days. She was mostly just in her bed, not really saying much whilst the doctors tried to find the right dosage of medication for her and sent her out to talk to some people, but she seemed a little better.

He thought about telling her that AJ had stopped by, but he didn't want to complicate things and confuse her. She needed to focus on herself at the moment, and he himself didn't even know what was going on with AJ. She seemed confused and lost when he spoke to her and he just couldn't figure the whole thing out. He preferred it when she hadn't shown her face and he believed she had left because she just couldn't handle it, but there just seemed more to it, he could tell just by looking at her face.

"Hey, can we come in?" Lucy walked through the door with Jenny as Punk turned around.

"Yeah." Freddie smiled. The support from her two best friends and her family had been a massive plus in helping her come round from the shock of where her head was actually at.

"Hi girls." Punk smiled.

"Hi Mr Brooks." Jenny smiled.

"I'll go and leave you girls alone." Punk stood up.

"Oh, you don't have to go." Lucy shook her head.

"No, really." Punk said, "I've been here all day. Freddie looks bored of me." He said as Freddie smiled, "I'll come by in the morning ok?" He said, walking over to his daughter, giving her a hug as she hugged him back, kissing her on the cheek.

"See you tomorrow." Freddie smiled as Punk nodded.

"See you, girls." Punk nodded to her friends.

"Bye." Jenny smiled, watching him leave the room as she waved her hand up and down against her face to fan herself, "It just never gets old." She said as Freddie shook her head.

"Can you please leave my dad alone." Freddie said as they sat on the bed, "Just because I don't have my phone doesn't mean you can text him all the time. He said you sent him four love hearts." He said as Jenny shrugged.

"What? He deserves love hearts." Jenny said as Lucy just laughed.

"Did you guys find out anything for me?" Freddie asked, "I feel like I'm in prison in here." She shook her head, passing over the bag of chips to them as they got comfortable.

"We didn't find much but we found where she works." Lucy said, taking a book out of her bag, "She's a therapist… on the north." She said.

"A therapist?" Freddie laughed to herself, looking at the address, "Ironic." She said, "Anything else?"

"No we only found that because it was in the pages." Jenny said, "Please don't make us go into the north. We'll look like impoverished hobos over there." She sighed.

"Please, I need you to go find out where she lives and what she does when she's not working." Freddie said, "I know you both have it in you to be stalkers." She said.

"Nice to know you're feeling like your usual self." Jenny said.

"Not quite." Freddie said, "Please, will you do it for me?" She asked them.

"Yes, fine but if we get attacked that's on you." Lucy said.

"No one is going to attack you." Freddie scoffed, "I want to know everything about her."


	19. Undercover

**Undercover**

* * *

"Is that her?" Jenny asked, standing across the street as her and Lucy watched a woman walk out of the therapy office.

"I think so." Lucy said, "Whatever you do, just don't slip up." She told her friend, walking across the road, "Excuse me." Lucy called as AJ turned around from locking up the door into the offices, "Hi, excuse me." Lucy said politely as AJ looked at them both.

"Can I help you?" AJ smiled to them pleasantly.

"Do you know where we can find the bus station?" Jenny asked, "We're from out of town and we lost our bearings." She smiled.

"Uh yeah, you just follow this road all the way down and then take a left at the bakery on the corner, and it's just around the corner from there." AJ nodded to them both, "You girls travelling?" She smiled.

"Yeah." Lucy nodded, before Jenny got a chance to say something ridiculous, "Would you recommend any places to go around here?" She asked her all the while Jenny kept her phone by her side, every now and then creeping it up to take a picture.

"Well you look a little young to be hitting the clubs." AJ said, "But you didn't hear it from me, club twenty one just down the street has a fake ID guy behind it, and apparently it's a good club." She nodded.

"Have you been?" Jenny asked.

"No but I know people who have." AJ said, "You gotta try a pizza here too of course, and the art institute is really cool, I'd go there." She recommended with a small smile.

"You like art?" Lucy raised her eyebrows.

"When I was young, yeah." AJ smiled to them, "Even wanted to be an artist but… that fell through." She said, starting to wonder why she was talking to two young girls who had only asked for directions.

"Oh, why?" Jenny shook her head.

"Life got in the way I guess." AJ said, "Listen, you girls have a good time here." She nodded.

"Wait." Jenny shook her head as AJ turned back, "You don't got more places to recommend for us? I mean… what do you do on a Saturday night?" She said as AJ smiled.

"I sit at home with a pizza and read a book." AJ said, "You might too when you reach my age." AJ smiled, "I have to go." She told them politely, turning around and walking off down the street as Jenny nodded to Lucy, slowly following AJ without her noticing.

* * *

"Gin." Freddie smiled, sitting on her bed as she won another card game against her father as Punk just groaned and shook his head, "You are literally the worst." She laughed, collecting the cards in.

"I know I am." Punk said as Freddie smiled, watching as her doctor walked into the room, her smile frowning as she realised it was time for her to go to therapy. She did feel an improvement in her thoughts and feelings, and her mental state, but she still dreaded therapy, it just wasn't in her nature to be so open.

"You ready to go, Freddie?" The doctor asked.

"Yeah." Freddie nodded, getting off the bed, pulling her hoodie on over her pyjamas, "Are you staying?" She asked Punk.

"Yeah I'll be here when you come back." Punk assured her.

"Ok." Freddie nodded, walking out of the room with her doctor as Punk shuffled the playing cards and sat back on the chair. He couldn't wait to get Freddie home so they could try and find some sort of normal routine again. He knew the help at the hospital was necessary however, and he of course wanted what was best for Freddie, to help her.

Meanwhile Freddie had headed into one of the counselling rooms with the therapist she'd been speaking to, taking a seat in front of her, bringing her knees up onto the chair.

"How are you feeling?" Her therapist, Nina asked, she was an older woman and Freddie did feel comfortable around her. She had a nice presence.

"Ok." Freddie said, "I feel better when my friends are there or my family. I don't like when I'm alone because I think too much." She said.

"What do you think about?" Nina asked, writing most of what Freddie was saying down for her files.

"Just how… messed up I must be." Freddie said, "My dad is keeping it together so well but I know he hates this. He's been here before with my mom. I don't think he can take much more."

"Your dad just wants to see you get better." Nina nodded, "What about your mom… your not in contact with her, are you?"

"No." Freddie said, "I don't know her. I've saw pictures. She seems like a nice person but… she left me so… maybe she isn't." Freddie said.

"Are you holding onto a lot of anger? Are you angry with your mom?" Nina asked.

"I can't be angry at someone I don't know or have never met. And I'm over being angry, maybe when I was like thirteen and I saw my friends going shopping with their mom's, or wearing their mom's clothes." She smiled a little, "I used to get real mad about that but then I just… I realised what I did have, and I had a good dad. I think I became a stronger person. He taught me to just be myself. Not care what other people think." She nodded, "So am I angry I didn't have a mom? Not really… I'd like to know why she left, though. I'd like to hear it directly from her and not from someone else's point of view." She said, "But… I don't know if that will ever happen."

"You seem a lot more open today, Freddie." Nina smiled, "It's good."

"That's because I'm getting to know you." Freddie said, "It takes a few meetings with me for me to come around." She said as Nina smiled.

"Well I'm glad." Nina nodded.

* * *

" _Do I need to be worried?" Toni asked Julio, walking into the kitchen with Freddie in her arms. They were babysitting whilst AJ and Punk went out for the night, to give them a little break. Toni loved babysitting and Julio the same, and they felt it was important that AJ and Punk still got time to themselves._

" _About what?" Julio asked, sitting at the kitchen table as Toni sat down beside him with Freddie in her arms, "Oh, hi sweetheart." Julio smiled, stroking the few week olds cheek._

" _About this body." Toni said, "I know you take control of a situation and you tie up all loose ends but… what if this comes back to Phil?"_

" _I won't let that happen." Julio said, "He was just there that night. That's it. I was the one who…" He shook his head, "What happened, happened… there's no evidence to prove the identity of the body, and there is no evidence to prove I was near the body. And Phil is not even in the equation."_

" _But you know if they find out who that body was they're going to trace it back to him." Toni said._

" _I know that, Toni." Julio said._

" _Then we need to make sure nothing gets past anyone." Toni said, "He will go to prison, and so will you. And I'm not having that."_

" _No one is going anywhere. No one could have saw us that night. It was late at the quary." Julio said._

" _You should have just called the police when it happened. It was self-defence on your behalf-"_

" _Look at where we come from, Toni." Julio said, "They would have taken me and Phil in and we would have got charged with something. I did what I had to. Like I always do." Julio said._

" _I know." Toni nodded, "I just… it's terrifying me, not knowing what's going to happen, and with the spray paint. What if someone out there knows and they… they're just waiting for the right time to hand some sort of evidence in?"_

" _I don't remember you ever being this negative." Julio admitted with a small smile, "We get things spray painted on our doors all the time, it's probably just north side idiots with nothing better to do." He said, "Why the sudden worry?"_

" _Well there's a lot at stake here." Toni said, "This little one for starters." She looked down at Freddie and smiled, "She needs her father around, and her grandfather."_

" _And she'll have them." Julio said, "Try not to worry." Julio nodded._

" _I… I've also been worried about April." Toni said._

" _Why?" Julio asked._

" _Well when she was pregnant, I thought she was maybe just a little depressed, she had a lot going on with her parents, she was pregnant which I know terrified her, but now it's like she's the complete opposite. I don't know when she's coming or going. I got up one night for a glass of water and she was in the nursery, wide awake. I don't think she's sleeping. I'm worried about her." Toni nodded._

" _She's a new mom. Think about how you were with Dean." Julio said, "It's a lot to adapt to."_

" _I know but something just feels off." Toni sighed._

" _Well, you're always right with your feelings, maybe you should ask her if she's ok." Julio said, "Maybe she's just struggling a little bit."_

" _Yeah." Julio said, "Yeah I should sit her down and make sure she's ok." Toni nodded, "Just promise me that nothing bad is about to happen." She sighed._

" _Antonette." Julio said slowly, "Nothing is going to happen. Not to me and not to Phil. What happened was a long time ago. They'll keep the case opened for a little while until they have to shut it down because they can't find anything." Julio nodded, "Do not worry, ok?" He said as Toni nodded slowly and gave him a smile, "Go get that little one down, she looks ready for falling asleep." He said as Toni smiled and nodded, getting up from the table and walking off as Julio sighed to himself and ran his hands up and down his face._

* * *

Later that night after Freddie had finished her therapy session and Punk had left to go home, Jenny and Lucy had come by which Freddie was eager for as she knew what they had been up to during the day.

"Hey, how did it go? Did you see her?" Freddie asked them.

"Yeah we saw her." Jenny said, closing the door over as they walked further into the room.

"Not to be dramatic, Freddie but I'd literally have a threesome with your parents if the offer was there." Lucy said, climbing up onto the bed as Freddie just shook her head.

"You guys, what happened? What did she say?" Freddie asked.

"Well we fake asked her for directions. She was nice. Recommended a few places. Linked us up to a fake ID place which… bonus points for her." Lucy nodded, "She seemed cool, like nothing was weird about her like I thought." Lucy said.

"Yeah and she also liked art when she was young." Jenny said, "Said she wanted to be an artist but life got in the way-"

"I got in the way." Freddie said, "Stupid bitch can't even name me." She said, "What else? Did you get any pictures?"

"Little blurry but I got some." Jenny said, taking her phone out and handing it over to Freddie, "We tried to get out anything she might get up to but she said her Saturday nights consist of eating pizza and reading." Jenny said as Freddie looked at the pictures of her mom. She hadn't really aged at all, the young pictures she had seen didn't look all that different.

"Did you find out her address?" Freddie asked.

"Yeah we did, we wrote it down." Jenny said, "Look, I'm all for this but… you know my love for your dad is legit, I think you should tell him about this."

"He would literally lose his mind with me. He doesn't even take a minute to talk about her." Freddie said, "No, I can't tell him." She shook her head.

"So what when you get out of here you're just gonna go knock on her door?" Lucy asked, "Why bother at this point?"

"Because I wanna know why she left." Freddie said.

"Why all of a sudden?" Lucy asked her.

"I just… I have so many questions, and I don't care if she doesn't want to see me. I'm not looking for a relationship. I want answers. None of my family can give me them because either they don't know the answers or they're hiding something." Freddie said, "If there's one thing that almost dying has proved to me is to not hold back." She said.


	20. Happy Birthday

**Happy Birthday**

* * *

"Hey, Juliet." Freddie smiled to the nurse who had been taking care of her, "Since it's my birthday do you think I could go downstairs and watch the hawks game later?" She asked, "Every birthday me and my dad go to the game closest to my birthday or on my birthday and… well I know I can't go this year but-"

"I'll talk to someone." Juliet smiled, "I think it should be ok. You're doing good in here, doctors are talking about your discharge." She said as Freddie smiled and nodded, "I bet you're glad to hear that."

"I'm just glad I've got a solution to the problem now." Freddie nodded as Juliet smiled.

"I bet." Juliet smiled, "You have social work in an hour and then… therapy later on. Here is your medication." She said, handing her the pills with a cup of water as Freddie swallowed them over, "Before you are discharged you and your dad will be invited in for consultation about your medication, when you take it, there's also a list of therapists we'll give you and tips and tricks I like to say." She said, "I think the main thing is you find out what works best for you."

"I think the meds are doing the trick. I… I don't mind the therapy but some days I just don't wanna talk, you know? And I deal with a lot through my art and music and being with friends and family so I know that can get me through." She said.

"That's good. It's all about finding what works, it's different for every person." She said as Freddie nodded, handing her back the cup, "You good, yeah?"

"Yeah, I'm good." Freddie smiled.

"I hope you have as good a birthday as you can in here." Juliet smiled, "I'm sure you can celebrate a little better when you're discharged."

"Yeah." Freddie smiled, "Thanks." She nodded as Juliet smiled, leaving the room just as Punk passed by her and walked on in.

"Hey." Punk smiled, holding a gift bag, "Happy birthday." He hummed, "I had a balloon but they took it from me." He shrugged, "No strings allowed in the psych ward." He reminded himself.

"Of course." Freddie smiled, watching as he walked over to her.

"Happy birthday, sweetheart." Punk said, sitting the bag down in front of her on the bed, wrapping his arms around her tightly, kissing her cheek as she smiled, "I'm sorry it can't be better scenery." He said.

"That's ok." Freddie assured him, "I've already had a birthday card from my doctors, and they made me a special breakfast so… who is winning?" She shrugged as Punk smiled, sitting down on the chair by her bed, "Do I get to open this right now?"

"Yeah of course, on you go." Punk said, taking his jacket off, figuring he was spending the full day in the room. Being no place he'd rather be on his daughter's birthday.

"Oh, you're an angel." Freddie smiled as she pulled out some of the pens she used that she loved so much, she knew they didn't come cheap, and she also knew they weren't rich, so it was greatly appreciated.

"Can't go wrong." Punk smiled as she nodded.

"I was running out too." Freddie said, digging further into the bag of presents as she pulled out a cuddly toy, smiling to herself due to how cute it was. She was never a girly girl so cuddly toys never appealed to her but certain ones, the uglier ones, she always found adorable, "That's cute." She smiled.

"I thought you'd like it." Punk nodded.

"It's adorable." Freddie nodded, pulling out a journal type book which was floral designed with lots of patterns and a whole bunch of blanked lines.

"So I figured since… the therapy isn't your favourite part, and you're struggling with it a little, maybe you could write things down instead, might help." He said, "And I thought it was cute with all the flowers and stuff." He admitted as Freddie smiled and nodded. Sometimes she wanted to cry at how thoughtful he was.

"Thanks, dad." Freddie nodded with a smile.

"There's more." Punk said.

"Did you get a pay rise or something?" Freddie laughed a little.

"Well it's your eighteenth." Punk said as Freddie smiled, digging into the bag as she pulled out a envelope, opening it up as she saw two tickets, reading what it was for as she realised it was the art exhibition she was supposed to be going to with her school, which she unfortunately missed due to being in the psych ward, "I knew how excited you were about it and I looked it up, it's happening again at the end of the year so I just bought two tickets… if you wanna take a friend or-"

"No, you're coming with me." Freddie nodded, "I love to bore you, it's my favourite thing." She smiled as Punk nodded, "Thank you so much." She smiled, shuffling the bag over and stretching over to hug him.

"That's ok." Punk said, squeezing her tightly as she laughed a little, "Oh and I'm sorry I couldn't get you that trainee doctor. He was extremely expensive." He nodded as Freddie laughed as she climbed back onto the bed.

"He was in my room last night." Freddie said as Punk arched a brow, "Taking my blood." She finished as Punk relaxed his brows a little.

"I hope you behaved." Punk said.

"I told him it was my birthday today and he wished me a happy birthday. He couldn't find my vein and he was panicking, he had to call one of the other doctors." Freddie said, "Of course I found this all amusing."

"You could do better than a doctor." Punk said.

"What? Like the president." Freddie laughed.

"No politics allowed in my house, I don't think so." Punk said as Freddie smiled.

"So I asked Juliet if we could go downstairs and watch the hawks game later, she said she'd ask but it shouldn't be a problem, and they're actually talking about discharging me soon so… at least they've gave me good news on my birthday."

"Well there you go." Punk smiled, "Toni and Julio are gonna swing by soon, I know you got social work in the morning so they said they'd be around in the afternoon, Dean and Kate too. Jenny text me, said that they'd be around later on." He said, "Five love hearts this time."

"She's ridiculous." Freddie shook her head.

"Can you make sure she deletes my number from her phone when you get out of here. I don't want to look like a predator or anything like that-"

"Don't worry, I'll delete it for you." Freddie nodded, "You wanna help me sort these pens out?" She asked, picking the pens back up as Punk nodded.

"Go on then." Punk said as she smiled, opening up the packaging, sitting the rest of her gifts over along with her card.

* * *

" _W-What… what's going on?" AJ shook her head, waking up in a hospital bed as she looked around at the white walls, turning her head as she saw Punk sitting beside her whilst Toni stood at the bottom of her bed, "W-What… what happened?" She asked, looking around as she shuffled up the bed._

 _From what she could see, she wasn't hooked up to any machines, she seemed to be just lying in the bed, but she felt drowsy and sleepy, as though she had been drugged on something, and she couldn't remember much of how she got in the hospital._

" _April." Toni said, "You… You had a little of a breakdown." She nodded, "The doctors are treating it as a psychotic break. You weren't yourself and I took it upon myself to phone the doctor and they rushed you here to make sure you weren't danger to not only someone else but yourself most importantly." Toni nodded, "You're in the psych ward, honey." Toni said as AJ looked at both of them, turning to Punk who took a hold of her hand._

" _It's going to be ok, though. You're ok." Punk nodded. Over the past few weeks things seemed to have got worse for AJ in terms of her mental state. She had become more anxious, erratic, hyper almost and just not herself. Toni decided that it was time to ask for help, which wasn't a thing they done often in their family. Punk felt ashamed for not noticing AJ's change in behaviour, not only during the past few weeks but even in the past year._

" _Where is Freddie?" AJ shook her head, "Where is she?" She asked worriedly._

" _She's with Dean and Kate. It's alright." Toni assured her, "You're… you're going to stay here for a little while, until you get better." She said. It was incredibly hard to watch someone they loved go through this type of mental and emotional pain._

" _The doctor is gonna talk to you." Punk nodded, "And they're gonna get to the bottom of this so they can treat you properly with whatever it is you need. And we're gonna be there right with you. Every day, I'll come see you. You're gonna get the help you need here." He nodded._

" _I want to see Freddie." AJ whispered to him._

" _I… I don't know if we can… if I can bring her here but I will ask, and I'll bring her to see you." He assured her as AJ nodded, "Main thing is you focus on you, on getting better-"_

" _April, you're not alone, sweetheart." Toni shook her head, "We're all here for you." She said as AJ rested her head back on her pillow._

 _She'd felt her own self slipping ever since her father had come to the house to reveal the threat he was using against her in order to take everything she loved away, or more so pull her away from everything she loved. She had always felt like there was something more challenging going on in her brain but she put it down to her upbringing, but she had noticed that it was a lot more serious than she thought._

 _She still had no idea what she was supposed to do, and she believed this so called psychotic break she had that she couldn't remember much of, besides irrationally screaming and trying to tear things apart, was all to do with what her father was holding against her, the decision he was making her make._

 _She turned to her boyfriend, his loving face, his grip on her hand, kissing it and talking to her reassuringly, and she knew she just could not let him be shipped off to prison along with Julio. She just couldn't. She didn't know what was going on, why he was involved with the body that had been found, she wasn't even concerned about that because she loved him too much._

 _And then she thought of leaving her boyfriend and her baby girl, never seeing them again, walking out of their lives, and it absolutely killed her, but she just didn't know if she could risk Punk's freedom. She felt mentally ill and also physically unwell with what was going on in her life._

* * *

Everyone had come to visit Freddie for her birthday, her grandparents, her uncle and aunt, her best friends. They all brought their gifts and spent some time with Freddie. It was the brightest she had been in a long time and she felt blessed to be even reaching her eighteenth birthday after what she had gone through and the frame of mind she was in a few weeks ago.

The doctors allowed her to go downstairs to find a TV with Punk so they could watch the hawks game in a room. It wasn't the same as being there, but it was enough and she was grateful just to be seeing some colour on a screen again.

"You missed another goal." Freddie said, sitting on the large armchair as Punk walked back in with a cup of coffee.

"Man, we're almost clear of three points." Punk said, sitting down on the chair beside her, sitting his coffee down as she nodded and looked on at the TV, "You want anything else? There's a vending machine out there." He said.

"No I'm ok." Freddie said, swinging her legs over the arm of the chair, watching as the game went to half-time, finding it appropriate to say what she wanted to say, "Do you think mom would ever come back?" She asked as Punk turned to her, "One day, do you think she would ever just show up?" She asked as Punk stiffened a little.

"I don't know." Punk said, "I don't know what your mom is thinking or what she wants." Punk shrugged, "And I'm not concerned over it either."

"I really want her to explain to me, to my face, why she left the way she did, why just… disappear without an explanation? Don't you ever wonder and question it?"

"Every day." Punk nodded, "I've went through phases. Some days I wondered if it was because of me, what if I did something to hurt her and I just didn't realise. Then I'd wonder if it was someone else, was someone hurting her? But then I realised I was torturing myself and that she… she just left. I knew her enough to know that she was honest, and if there was something going on she would have told me, which is why I think she just left because she… she just couldn't handle it." Punk said.

"Why would you never go after her?" Freddie asked.

"Well I think her actions spoke a thousand words." Punk said, "She walked out so… why chase after her?"

"Maybe she just needed reassurance." Freddie said.

"Why the sudden curiosity?" Punk smiled a little, wondering if she had maybe found out about AJ appearing.

"No reason." Freddie said, "I actually… I don't know, being diagnosed, I feel closer to her, I feel like I know her even though I've not met her." She shook her head, "It sounds dumb, I know but… I don't know-"

"Doesn't sound dumb. You could probably understand her more than I could, and I thought I could understand her really well." He said, "Sometimes thinks just don't go to plan. She went her way and we went ours, and that's it." Punk said.

"Do you still love her?" Freddie asked him, "I mean I know you haven't saw her in so long but… do you still have feelings for her?"

"Of course I do. I was crazy about her. She was… the dangerous kind where she could come back into our lives and I'd… I'd still be in love with her, no matter how mad I was. And she's your mom, I still respect her, she didn't have it easy." He said.

"Why? What happened?" Freddie asked.

"She just had a… tough upbringing. Parents who weren't looking out for her best interest."

"Sums up the north perfectly." Freddie shook her head as Punk nodded.

"Well." Punk nodded.

"I'd just hate to find out that she left because she didn't want me." Freddie said.

"I don't know much, Freddie, but… something tells me that's not why she left. A lot of the gang think it is. She's a north sider, they were quick to change their mind on her and tell me I was stupid for even being with her, but… I don't thinks he just left because she gave up."

"Then don't you wanna know why she left?" Freddie asked, "Shouldn't we find out?" She asked.

"No, I don't think we should. We've went this long without her. Right now, your only focus should be on yourself, getting better, your mom… she's not important right now." He said as Freddie sighed and nodded along, "But she loved you, I know that much." He nodded as Freddie just smiled and nodded, turning back to the TV as the game resumed.

* * *

 _AJ spent a few weeks in the psych ward speaking to doctors and getting treatment for what she now was her bipolar disorder. The diagnosis fitted everything to a T and she felt relief that she had something to actually make sense of how she felt._

 _In the midst of her intense rehab, she'd thought a lot about what she had to do, and she knew in her heart what it was she needed to do, and it broke her heart into two pieces but her cruel parents had her by throat on it and she really had no choice._

" _Hey, look who came to see you." Punk smiled, walking into the room with Freddie in his arms as AJ immediately smiled and sat up. She'd been allowed short visits from Freddie every now and then which brightened her soul completely, but this time, this time she knew she had to make this visit count._

" _Hi." AJ smiled, immediately taking Freddie into her arms, "Hi, baby." She smiled, kissing Freddie's nose as the baby girl scrunched it up and latched onto her hair as she smiled._

" _You know I think she's been missing you." Punk nodded as AJ smiled, "How you doing?" He asked. He'd been in to visit her every day, staying for as long as he could and she couldn't have gotten through this without him, which made this entire process so much harder._

" _I'm ok." AJ nodded with a soft smile as he leaned forward and pressed a kiss on her lips as she kissed back and smiled, "How are you? How has she been?" She asked._

" _We're good. We're all good." Punk nodded, "Ready for you coming home tomorrow." He smiled as AJ nodded, looking down at Freddie to avoid having to look at Punk in the eye._

" _Could you… do me a favour?" AJ asked him._

" _Yeah, sure." Punk nodded._

" _Could you run to the store. I've ran out of deodorant. I just noticed it getting empty when I got out of the shower."_

" _Yeah, sure." Punk stood up, "I can just run to the store five minutes away I won't be too long." He told her as she smiled._

" _Thank you." She said._

" _I'll be back soon." He said, kissing her head and leaving the room as AJ nodded, taking a deep breath as she looked down at Freddie._

" _I thought I would… make it just between me and you." She said, looking down at Freddie who looked up at her with her gorgeous brown eyes, "I really don't want to do this." She shook her head, her voice breaking as she looked down at the most precious thing she'd ever had in her life, "And I am so sorry for having to do this." She nodded._

 _She folded her legs in a basket and lay Freddie down on the bed in front of her, playing with her little feet and hands as the baby girl lay happily in front of her, "You have no idea how much I love you, and I am so sorry that you're never going to know that." She shook her head, "But I… you need your daddy. You need him" She nodded, "And I don't want anything bad to happen to him." She said, "I just… I want you to know how much I love you and how… how hard this is." She said, tears rolling down her cheeks as she wiped them quickly, "You're gonna grow up and you're gonna be… so strong, so fearless… I know it." She nodded, "And you're gonna be so loved by your family." She said._

 _She picked Freddie back up, cradling her into her arms, "I'm so sorry this is the last time we have to… we have to see each other." She shook her head, tears streaming down her cheeks as she tried to keep herself together, "But I know you and your daddy are gonna be just fine, because you're strong, and you'll have each other." She nodded, "I love you so so so much." AJ sobbed in the quiet room, looking down at Freddie, placing a kiss on her head. She knew she'd never do anything harder in her life than this._


	21. Taken Away

**Taken Away**

* * *

Freddie was finally released from the hospital after spending two and a bit weeks inside. The doctors were happy with her development and were confident that they had got the right dosage of medication for her. They'd also really helped her learn a lot about her illness and what was good and bad for her in order to keep it under control. Punk was super proud of how strong and easy going she had been throughout the full thing and he was just glad that his daughter could finally come home.

"You want anything in?" Punk asked her as he walked into the living room in their apartment where she was lying up watching TV. The doctors still told her to take things slow and not jump head first back into her normal routine, so Punk had taken a few days off from work to spend some time with her at home and slowly help her back into her routine.

"I'm ok." Freddie nodded, "What are you making for dinner?" She asked.

"We can order in if you want." Punk shrugged, "Pizza or something." He said as Freddie nodded.

"Yeah sounds good." She smiled. She did find it all a little overwhelming coming home to the place she'd tried to take her life, going into her bedroom and remember that feeling of wanting it all to stop. It was also hard coming back and lining up her pills in the bathroom cabinet, reminding herself that she was living with a mental illness, but she was trying her hardest to use that as her strength, and rise above it. She knew she could still be her own person. Her mental illness didn't take over who she was, and she wondered if that was the problem with her mother.

"Just let me know when you start to get hungry." Punk nodded.

"I will." She smiled to him. She was grateful for her father and how consistently great he had been. He was a strong character, she figured she got her strength from him. He was constantly thinking of ways to help her, to make things easier on her and she really appreciated that.

"Hey, it's only me." Toni called out as she walked in the apartment door, walking around the corner where she saw Freddie and Punk in the living room, "Hey." She smiled to them both, "Brought you some cupcakes." She told Freddie.

"Thanks." Freddie smiled.

"How you doing?" Freddie asked her.

"Yeah, I'm ok. Just glad I'm home." She nodded.

"Yeah, I bet." Toni said, "I'll go sit these out in the kitchen." She said as Freddie smiled and nodded.

Punk followed Toni out into the kitchen, watching her as she stored the cupcakes away.

"How has she been doing?" Toni asked Punk.

"Yeah she's good." Punk said, "Doctor said to just slowly get her back in her routine. Get her out and about, soon enough she'll be back to school and… hopefully things will be better." He nodded.

"She's a tough one, alright." Toni nodded, "I didn't want to say anything to you because I knew you were just… focusing on Freddie in the hospital but… what the hell happened with April? She just disappeared again?" She asked.

"I went to see her at her office." Punk said, "We talked and then her dad came in. I got shoved in the toilet, she was acting like best friends." Punk shook his head, "I mean these are the people who just… were god awful to her." Punk shook his head, "But she didn't have the answers to my questions. She looked confused and… I don't know just… not the same person, and I know that's because it's been a lot of years but… she looked scared of something, and it's annoying me." He said.

"I mean, the fact that her daughter was committed into a psych ward she just easily walked away from that again… says it all." Toni shook her head.

"She looked in pain, though." Punk said, "Like she wanted to tell me something but couldn't. And then Freddie started asking about her and I thought she'd found out that she was at the hospital that day but… I think she's just curious. Says she feels a little closer to April because of the illness." Punk said.

"Well that makes sense." Toni nodded, "What are you gonna do? You gonna go back and talk to April?"

"Why should I? If she was interested in us, she'd come to me. I'm not chasing her around." Punk shook his head.

"Should I talk to her?" Toni asked.

"And scare the living day lights out of her? No." Punk shook his head, "No, she needs to make her own choices. She was the one who left and if she wants to come back, she has to be the one to come to me."

"But if you said she looks confused and… like she's withholding something from you, maybe there's… well maybe there's more to it." Toni said, "What did she actually say?"

"She said it was best for everyone that she left, and that she was unwell. She's using the illness as an excuse but… I saw her the day before she left, she was good, she well and fit to come home." Punk nodded, "I just… I can't figure her out."

"And she's speaking to her parents again?" Toni asked as Punk nodded, "That is strange." Toni agreed. After knowing AJ for so long and knowing how difficult she found her parents and how comfortable she was in their family, it seemed all very strange that this was the outcome of everything, "But you're right, you just do what you're doing, keep the focus on Freddie and… if she wants to talk, she'll come to you." Toni nodded in agreement.

"Yeah I just want to make sure Freddie is ok, get ourselves back into some sort of normality." He said as Toni nodded.

"Yeah." Toni said, "You're doing good." She rubbed his arm, "You're a good dad, she's a lucky girl." She said as Punk just smiled to her, "When she's feeling better, a little more like herself, we'll have a family dinner, we don't do it enough." She shook her head as Punk nodded in agreement.

* * *

 _Punk walked in the doors of the psych ward, happy to finally be taking AJ home after what felt like forever visiting her in this place. He was glad she was feeling better and that she could come back home with him and Freddie. As young teenagers, they'd gone through a lot in the past few months and things finally seemed to be looking up._

 _He walked down the corridor and into her room, pausing when he saw there was no one there, shaking his head as he walked further into the room, looking onto the bed where a note was left which said 'I'm sorry' on it._

 _He left the room with confusion and walked over to the desk, "Hey, do you know where April is?" He asked one of the familiar looking doctors._

" _She discharged herself this morning." The doctor said as Punk just looked across at him, "The minute she woke up she took her things and left." He nodded as Punk just slid the note in his pocket and nodded._

" _Thanks." Punk nodded to the doctor, turning around and leaving the ward, heading back home in hopes that he'd find April already there. He wondered if she maybe had taken a detour, taken the morning to herself before coming home, but then he was reminded by the note she'd seemed to have left saying sorry on it._

 _He walked into the house where everyone was expecting him to be with April, walking into the living room as Toni stood up, holding Freddie in her arms._

" _W-Where is she?" Toni smiled and shook her head._

" _She… she wasn't there." Punk said, "And this was left in her room." Punk said, showing her the note as Julio took it from him._

" _Why is she sorry?" Julio asked._

" _The doctor said she discharged herself early this morning." Punk said, looking at them both. They weren't fools, they all knew what was going on here but no one quite knew what to say._

" _Should we go look for her?" Dean asked as Julio just narrowed his eyes at him as Dean nodded slowly._

" _Can I… take her?" Punk asked his mother._

" _Yeah." Toni nodded, gulping as she passed Freddie over to Punk, watching as he walked off with her, listening to him as he walked upstairs, turning to Julio who looked at the note and back to his wife._

" _That's not good." Julio shook his head._

" _No." Toni shook her head, "No, it's not."_

* * *

" _We've got a nice apartment for you, April. You will love it." Laurel said, driving in the car after they had picked up AJ from the hospital early in the morning. AJ barely slept all night. She was trying to remember what it felt like to kiss her boyfriend, remembering seeing him as he left her with Freddie, remembering holding her daughter in her arms, knowing she wouldn't get to do see them again if she wanted to protect her boyfriend's freedom. She was heartbroken in silence and all she could do was accept what her awful parents were doing._

" _I think it's important you also think about what you'd like to do. I mean, the world is your oyster now. You can go be and do whatever you want to do now. You have that freedom." Rick said as AJ just stared out the window._

" _And we'll be just around the corner from you, April. Anything you need." Laurel said as AJ ignored him and continued to stare out of the window. She felt like she was being taken into some conversion camp to brainwash her and wipe away all her memories of the family she had found, the family that loved her, her own baby and boyfriend._

" _This is us here." Rick said, pulling up outside the apartment block as AJ turned around and looked up. It was nice, in an affluent neighbourhood which most of the north was, surrounded by nice houses and shops. But it didn't compare to what she was losing, what she was being taken from, "Let's get you inside then." He said._

 _She got out of the car, shutting the door over and walking on into the apartment block with them, following them upstairs as her father carried her bag, opening up the apartment door and walking in._

 _She wasn't interested in how nice it was. They could have taken her to a mansion and the heartache of losing what she loved the most was still going to be there._

" _How nice is this?" Laurel smiled. Both her parents were just thrilled that she was in their control again, and they had gotten their nails sunk deep into her now._

" _It's nice." AJ nodded tiredly._

" _It's got the cutest little balcony too, you could put some plants out there." Laurel smiled, "We've moved all your things into the bedroom, of course you'll have to get a job to support yourself but there is no rush. And of course we will… pay for you to go to university and get your degree, whatever it's in." Laurel smiled, "You've got so much potential to fill now, April." She nodded as AJ just stared at her with no emotion in her face._

" _I just need to know that footage won't go anywhere." AJ said, "You've got me here. That footage gets destroyed and you leave… you leave that family alone now." AJ nodded._

" _As long as you're here with us, safe and sound, that family don't even exist in my mind." Rick smiled, "So you don't have to worry about a thing." He smiled to her as AJ just nodded._

" _We should let you settle in." Laurel nodded, giving her daughter a hug as AJ refused to hug back, watching as her mother left the apartment whilst her father stayed in front of her._

" _You've made the right decision." Rick smiled, walking further towards her as AJ watched, "But if I find out you have gone anywhere near that family, I don't care if it's tomorrow, next year, fifteen years times… that footage goes straight to the police. Am I making myself clear here?" Rick looked down at her as AJ stared up at him._

" _Yes." AJ said, glaring at him as Rick nodded._

" _Good." Rick smiled, hugging her tightly as AJ almost felt like she could be sick, "Enjoy this place, it's wonderful, and you deserve it." He nodded to her as AJ watched him walk off out of the apartment, closing the door over as she looked around._

 _They never acknowledged the fact she was just out of a psych ward and that she had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. They had just dumped her in some apartment and left, and she had never felt more alone. Especially since she knew this was her life now._

 _She walked over to the couch, sitting down and opening up her bag from the hospital, taking out the small picture, the only picture she had, one which she requested Punk bring into her. He probably thought she was just wanting to look at it, but she knew she had to take something with her._

 _It was just hours after Freddie was born, a picture of all three of them, and she stared at it as she sobbed in the quiet, lonely apartment._


	22. Hi

**Hi**

* * *

"It's just… juggling being a mom, a wife, having a job, and doing all of those things with a smile is… is difficult. And everyone thinks you have it all figured out. And I think part of me wants to think I have it all figured out. But truth is… sometimes I just feel lost. Confused. Irritable. Not knowing what to do myself."

"You're right. Doing all those things are difficult." AJ nodded, "Even more difficult when you think you have no one to talk to about it." She said, "But the main thing is you do talk, and you also need to remember yourself in all of this. You need time for yourself. Even if it's just… having a coffee and watching terrible TV for an hour or two." AJ said, "It helps. It's good for the brain. Especially when you do have children and a husband." She nodded, sitting in her office with a client.

"You have children?" Her client asked as AJ looked across at her. Sometimes she answered differently every time. Sometimes she said no. Other times she said yes, but without explaining the details. This time she just felt like saying the truth, and wondered how someone would react to it.

"I have a daughter. She's eighteen." AJ nodded, "I… haven't saw her since she was a few months old." She said as her client raised her eyebrows, "So I can't really relate to what you feel with the pressures of being a mom, I don't… I don't believe I am a mom, not really." She said, "But I know that it must be difficult, and you need to create time for yourself, routine at least." She said.

"You… don't look old enough to have an eighteen year old." Her client admitted with a smile.

"I had her when I was young." AJ smiled.

"What's her name?" Her client smiled, just trying to be polite.

"Freddie." AJ said.

"That's a pretty name for a girl." Her client smiled as AJ nodded and looked down at her papers, "She… lives with different parents now?" She asked, only assuming that it was an adoption situation that had gone on.

"Oh, no. She lives with her dad. Her real dad." AJ said, "I couldn't take care of her so… it was the best option." She nodded.

"Must have been hard too, with being so young." Her client said, , "I mean I think back to when I was young and I just… couldn't imagine having a child." She said.

"I didn't either." AJ nodded, "But… it is what it is." AJ said as her client nodded, "How do you get on at work? Is it quite a calm place?" She asked, trying to divert the question now to avoid talking any more about the daughter she hadn't been allowed to be a mom to.

* * *

"How many points do I get for showering this morning?" Freddie asked, walking into the kitchen with wet hair as she took a seat at the table whilst Punk made breakfast.

"I don't know about points but… I can make you an extra pancake if you like." He said as Freddie nodded.

"Go on then." Freddie smiled.

"Did you take your meds?" Punk asked her.

"I did." Freddie nodded, watching as he flipped a pancake over, "So I started to design the pages of that journal you got me." She said, "It's coming along nice."

"Yeah?" Punk said, "You'll need to show me it."

"I will." Freddie said, "Do you think mom does things like that to help her?" She asked wearily, looking up at her father, his back to her as he kept his eyes on the pancakes, "Is she like creative or anything?" She asked, feeling it safe to continue to ask her father about her mother, even though her friends had already confirmed that her mother loved art.

"She loved art when she was younger. I don't know what she does now. She was good at it too." Punk nodded.

"Why'd you never tell me?" Freddie asked him.

"Just never came up." Punk said.

"Even though I love art. You never thought to tell me?" She asked him as he turned around, "Why is it so hard to talk about her?" She shook her head.

"Why wouldn't it be, Fred? She walked out on us. We had plans. We were saving up for our own place. I… I loved her. And she walked out on me, on you. Why would I wanna talk about her?" Punk asked her.

"Did you never find out why she left? Why was it so sudden? I would have questioned it, went after her, I don't know-"

"She left because she didn't want you." Punk shrugged, immediately pausing as he watched her face drop, "Or me." He quickly tried to save himself, "I don't know. She just left, that's it."

"If she hated her parents, and she finally found a family who loved her, and she loved you, why would she just up and leave one day? It doesn't make sense." She said, she was frustrated and just couldn't wrap her head around it, much like Punk, only he was trying his best to forget it existed.

"That's only something she can answer, and even then I don't think she would have any answers." Punk said, "Look, I know you're frustrated, you're getting older, you want to know what really happened, as do I, but she's not in our lives, Freddie. And she's never going to be in it. You don't need her. You need to focus on yourself, you've been through a lot these past few weeks and I don't want you to waste your time thinking about someone who… who you haven't even met." Punk said as Freddie sighed, placing one knee up to her chest and sighing.

"I just want to hear her side. What if she was really ill? Mentally? And that's why she left and now she's just never found the courage or the confidence to come back?"

"She was fine. She was on meds and spent a few weeks in the hospital. She wasn't unfit to care for you." Punk said, "Why are you so curious and adamant about this shit as if you weren't hating her a few months ago?"

"I just think it's strange." Freddie said, "You try being put in a white room with nothing but your thoughts to keep you company. I done some thinking." She said.

"You're entitled to feel the way you do, but as your dad, someone who knows you and knows what you need, you don't have to concern yourself with her." Punk nodded, "It's not worth it." He said as Freddie just nodded.

"Ok." She said quietly, "Is this why you've never got a girlfriend or a wife?" Freddie asked, "Because you still love her?" She said as Punk just turned around to the stove and groaned a little.

"No comment." He said playfully as Freddie smiled, "No more questions it's too early." He said as Freddie just smiled. Although she always regarded her father as a charming and welcoming, happy person, she did know there was a sadness in him, and she figured it stemmed from her mother. She never thought that her psychotic break and trying to take her own life would bring her this close to her mother.

* * *

"How has Freddie been doing?" Julio asked, walking into the kitchen in their home where Toni was.

"So far so good. Phil has taken a few days off to spend some time with her. Doc says she should slowly but surely get back into her normal routine." Toni said, "Phil said she'd been asking about AJ a lot more. She feels closer to her because of their illness." She said a Julio nodded.

"Makes sense in a way. She'll feel like she could maybe understand why her mom left, which is good for Freddie, means she won't think her mom just abandoned her for no reason." Julio said.

"But why… why did she show up that day and then just disappear again? It's like she's a ghost." Toni said, "I agree with Phil, something doesn't feel right. I mean, it never felt right but… now more than ever. I saw her with that baby, she loved her, she did." Toni said, "And I saw the look on her face when she walked into that hospital room… so for her to just creep back into the shadows… I don't know, Julio." Toni sighed to herself.

"Maybe you're just overthinking. Maybe she just… thought it would make things worse and disappeared again to prevent any drama from happening." Julio said.

"No I… I know her, she was like a daughter to us, she was a part of this family and… Phil said she was speaking to her father... now you know what those people said to her. Why would she be talking to them again?" Toni asked.

"You're asking the wrong person, sweetheart." Julio said, "If you want these answers, go talk to her."

"You know I don't go into the north. I come back out and I feel like I have the plague." She waved her hand as Julio smiled.

"Stop playing." Julio said, "If you wanna know what's going on, confront her."

"But then is that not just opening up wounds that shouldn't be opened up?" Toni asked.

"Maybe but… maybe you could get something out of her. It does seem strange but… I still think she just couldn't handle it." Julio said.

"You just can't see between lines though." Toni scoffed, "There'd have to be something that pushed her away from her own daughter, and Phil. Surely." Toni said, "I never said this to Phil at the time because… well I didn't want it to upset him and I just wanted him to focus on raising Freddie the best he could." Toni said as Julio nodded, "But it never felt right. Maybe we should have gone after her… what if something bad happened, Julio-"

"Antonette, you're rambling in nerves now." Julio told her, "Calm down." He said as Toni shook her head with worry.

"I just have a bad feeling." Toni said.

"April left, Phil raised Freddie and April must have got word about her being in hospital, so maybe she got worried and just wanted to… see for herself that she was ok, and then happily disappeared back into her own bubble. That seems legit, and it also seems legit that she just… couldn't handle being a mom and left. No matter how cruel it seems to be, it's most likely that's the reason, and with her parents… maybe she just reached out to them through time." Julio shrugged, "Stop searching for things to worry about. That's not our life anymore. Not since… you know what."

"I know." Toni sighed, "She was just… important to me. She was like my daughter, seeing her again it… it was like a relief in some way." She said.

"Well we all cared about her here, and we still will, it won't change, but… she's chosen her life, and we have ours. There's nothing in between." He said as Toni just nodded, "Don't stress yourself out."

* * *

Later that night, Freddie had been in her room working on some of her art when she realised it was later than she thought it was. She tidied up her things and grabbed her hoodie from the bottom of the bed, shoving some converse on and walking out of her bedroom, looking over at her father asleep on the couch.

She smiled and walked over to him, pulling the blanket out from under the couch, shaking it out and over him, "Idiot. Burning bills." She scoffed, turning the TV off which he was paying no attention to clearly.

She then crept by the couch and off to the front door, opening it up and creeping out as she locked it over behind her.

It was nice to feel the cool fresh air on her face, walking down the street in jeans and her hoodie with the address of which she was in search for scrunched up in a note in the pocket.

She'd never been to the north before and once passing the certain point, she began to feel a little out of place, looking at all the super posh restaurants, fancy shops and big apartments and buildings. It was like an entire different world, but it had no personality the way she believed her home did.

She continued to walk down the street, following the directions which her friends had given her in order to reach her mother's apartment. She was desperate at this point. She wanted answers. Sitting in a hospital bed, with nothing but her thoughts spinning around, it made her think about all the possible reasons why her mother left and how stupid it seemed that no one had even found out why she did leave.

She didn't want to go her entire life not having those answers, and she just wanted to see her face. Her fourteen year old self would have been ashamed of these actions, because fourteen year old Freddie believed she didn't need a mom, but she wasn't stuck on the idea of wanting a mom, she just wanted to know why she didn't have her mom around.

She eventually found the apartment block and walked on in, going up the steps and finding the apartment, gulping a little as she felt nerves which was strange for her. She still looked pale and tired, but she figured her mother would understand that feeling.

She reached her hand out in a fist, knocking on the door and placing her hands inside her pockets, waiting with butterflies in her stomach as she listened to movement in the apartment, pausing when she saw the door open, feeling like she was looking herself in the mirror.

AJ looked on, standing as still as a statue as she looked across at her daughter, the last person she expected to see at her door one day.

"Hi." Freddie said quietly.


	23. Liars

**Liars**

* * *

"W-What… how did you…" AJ shook her head, not being able to speak properly as she looked on at her daughter standing. She hadn't got a proper impression of her before, not really, and she couldn't help but think how beautiful she was.

"So you know who I am?" Freddie nodded, "So you've been watching me or something? Like a weirdo." She nodded as AJ just shook her head.

"No you can't… you can't be here-"

"I am here." Freddie said, "And I'm coming in so either move out the way to let me by, or I will knock you over on my way." She said as AJ raised her eyebrows and looked across at her. She could see her boyfriend and herself in her. Whilst trying so hard to soak up this moment of actually seeing her daughter in the flesh and seeing her so close, the anxiety of someone finding her with her, aka her parents was ridiculous. She knew what would happen if they found out.

"Ok." AJ nodded calmly, stepping to the side as Freddie walked on in, looking around the apartment whilst AJ shut the door over, taking a deep breath into herself, trying to prepare her for what had to come. She wasn't dealing with a little girl here. She was dealing with a pissed off teen who wanted answers, just like everyone wanted, just like she had tried to avoid for this long.

"How long have you lived here?" Freddie asked, walking around the living room area as AJ watched her, "Long?" She asked, picking up some DVD's, looking through them as AJ watched her.

"Yeah, long." AJ nodded, "I don't think your dad knows you're here right now, does he?" She assumed.

"Like my dad is something you care about." Freddie said, "He deserved better, and even you know that." She said. She wasn't taking this lightly, although the little girl inside her desperately wanted to wrap her arms around this woman and squeeze her, but she wasn't a little girl, and she couldn't be spoken to like one.

"I know he deserved better, trust me. You do too." AJ said, "But I'm not comfortable with you here, when he doesn't know you're here. I… I don't wanna get in between you two and-"

"What's the worst he's gonna do? Ground me? I don't go out anyway so it's fine." Freddie said, "You… everyone has told me my entire life that you left when I was a baby because you found it tough, being a mom." Freddie said as AJ folded her arms. It was like staring across at a mirror, not just physically but emotionally too, "And you know what, that's fine." Freddie said, "I get it, you were a kid having a kid. I mean… it's your fault for being so careless in the first place." She added, "But none the less, here I am, and everyone told me you just couldn't handle it." Freddie nodded, "And I dealt with that, I dealt with thinking that my own mother walked out on me because she just couldn't find it in her to take care of me." She said.

"Freddie, I…"

"No, you'll get your chance, trust me. I've been waiting for you to talk to me for a long time. You'll get that chance." Freddie said, "Honestly, I don't want a mom, I'm past the point of caring. I used to be so jealous when I was little of my friends, how they were with their moms. One of my friends, Jenny, she goes on like monthly road trips with her mom, they talk about boys and girl things, they go shopping, day's out." Freddie said, "And I was so jealous. I used to ask myself, why does their mom's want them and mine didn't." Freddie said, "What was so hard about me or so wrong with me that my own mother walked away from me." She said as AJ looked across at her, tears welling in her eyes. This was the exact moment she'd had nightmares about, listening to her daughter call her out on how much she had missed of her life.

"Freddie, this… it's so much more than what you think-"

"Well that's the problem, isn't it?" Freddie said, "You were the one person in my life that could have noticed there was something wrong with me. Maybe dad noticed but… he… he just didn't want to believe it… you could have helped me, made me not feel alone or scared." Freddie nodded, "I've never thought more about you in my life than I have these past few weeks and I don't know if it was because I was stuck in a psych ward for almost three weeks, or if… this illness we share has us wired telepathically." She said, "But I started thinking and I know how much you were loved by dad's family, by Toni and Julio. I mean… every time someone brings you up Toni looks like she's about to cry." Freddie said as AJ stood quietly, letting her say what she had to, she had every right, "So I thought it was strange that for a girl who hated her parents, who find a new family who loved her, who took care of her, she just quit and… gave up and left." Freddie nodded, "And then I thought, oh gee, she must have been really bad with this bipolar thing, maybe that's why she couldn't take care of me but… no, it still… it doesn't feel right, I mean dad said you were fine, you got help in hospital and then you just left." Freddie said.

"There's a lot you just don't understand." AJ nodded.

"No, don't do that." Freddie warned, "Don't… don't speak to me like I'm an idiot. Like I know nothing." She said, "I'm just stating the facts, right?"

"Yeah, but… I was just… it was better for me to leave, I don't know what else to tell you." She said.

"Tell me the truth." Freddie nodded, "Tell me why you abandoned your own daughter?" She begged, her voice breaking, "I've gone this long just accepting that… I'm just one of those people who has one parent, but I just… I'm not letting this go until I have my answers."

"You're just out of the psych ward. You're probably tired and upset, and mad at a lot things." AJ said, "I know what that feels like, trust me, and it's annoying. You feel like you need to know everything, to take control of something." She nodded, "Find your bearings." She said as Freddie looked across at her. Whilst trying to keep her composure and stay cool, she couldn't believe she was really standing talking or more so shouting with her mother.

"I don't need a therapy session with you." Freddie said, "I want to know why you left, why you left the family, the gang, the town… and now you're here, some snobby therapist with money and nice… throw cushions." She picked up a cushion from the couch and threw it back down as AJ watched her.

"I just had to leave-"

"You're bullshit!" Freddie shouted and laughed, "Like… I thought I was a really bad liar, I get all sweaty, I start scratching my head and twitching my nose but you… you might as well just tell me that you're lying." She said.

"Freddie you shouldn't have come here." AJ shook her head, "Your dad is gonna be wondering where you are. You just can't be here." AJ sighed. It was too much. She knew all along this was how her daughter felt about her, and she had every right, but she just couldn't stand here and lie to her any longer.

"No I am not leaving here until you tell me the truth." Freddie said, "You owe me that. The fact you're not even denying that there is some reason tells me everything. And I'm sure that dad deserves to know and Toni too." She said, "So why can't you tell us?"

"There's nothing to tell. I just had to leave. Ok?" AJ said, "That's it. I'm not in your life and that's just how things have ended up."

"You got other kids?" Freddie asked, looking around, "A husband? Huh?" She walked around the apartment.

"Freddie." AJ sighed, watching her just stroll into the bedrooms, and then wandering through to the kitchen, waiting for her to come back out but she never did, "Freddie." AJ said, walking on into the kitchen, pausing as she saw Freddie had taken the picture from the fridge of her when she was a baby, just after she was born with herself and Punk.

Freddie looked down at the picture, gulping and turning back to AJ, "Please just… tell me why you left." Freddie said in a calmer voice, "I just want to know why mom didn't want to be my mom anymore." She said as AJ rubbed her sweaty palms on her sweat pants, looking across at Freddie with teary eyes. This was breaking her heart in two.

"Freddie I always wanted to be your mom." AJ shook her head, "And I cared about you, more than you will ever believe." She said, "That's why I left. It was better that I just left. You needed your dad more than you needed me."

"Why couldn't I have both of you? Did you have this big fight that dad won't tell me about?" Freddie wondered.

"No. No nothing like that." AJ shook her head, "It just had to be this way. I can't… I don't have anything else to tell you." She shook her head as Freddie stuck the picture back up on the fridge and walked by her out of the kitchen and back into the living room as AJ followed her.

"Was it the bipolar?" Freddie asked her, "Was that why you left? Because I'd understand and… I'd maybe get it. Because I know how it feels. I mean… a few months ago I didn't even want to be here. I wanted to just kill myself and be done with." Freddie said as AJ wiped her eyes.

"It was a little bit of my bipolar and just… not being ready to be a mom." AJ nodded. She wanted to tell her the truth but she just couldn't, she knew what her parents still had against her and she just couldn't risk it, and it killed her.

"But… but why did you not come back? You seem fine to me now, you got a good job, a nice place… why didn't you come back to us?"

"I just thought you'd be used to a life without me, both of you." AJ said as Freddie shook her head.

"I just… I don't believe you." Freddie shook her head, "And I know somewhere deep down my dad doesn't either, but I think he's scared of the truth."

"That is the truth." AJ said, "Freddie." AJ walked closer to her, reaching her hands out to touch her arms as Freddie took a step back and shook her head, "I…" AJ placed her hands back by her side, "I'm so sorry about what you've gone through, I wish I could have been there to help you through it-"

"You could have been." Freddie said, folding her arms just as the door burst opened, both of them turning around. AJ fully expected it to be her father but sighed with relief when she saw it was Punk, and then got tense again as she saw how angry he looked.

"You're on thin ice, kid." Punk gritted his teeth as Freddie gulped and took another step back.

"How did you know-"

"Jenny told me. I called her when I realised you'd left the apartment at 1 in the morning. I thought you'd be there, I hoped, but then she told me you were coming here and gave me the address." Punk said, "I was terrified, I… I didn't know where you were or what you were doing-"

"Don't be mad with her I should have… took her back home to you." AJ said.

"Was I talking to you?" Punk turned to AJ as Freddie raised her eyebrows, "Why are you even here? How did you…" He looked over at Freddie again. He knew she was going through a hard time, a confusing time, and he half expected this after all the questions she had been asking about AJ, but he wasn't quite ready for the three of them to be in the same room.

"She wasn't hard to find." Freddie said, "Maybe you would have realised that if you bothered looking for her at any point in the last eighteen years." Freddie said, "But you were right, I think she just left because she didn't want me." She turned to AJ who shook her head.

"That's not true." AJ shook her head.

"We're leaving." Punk said, "Now." He narrowed his eyes at Freddie who looked from her mother to her father, "I'll drag you out, Freddie." Punk nodded as Freddie folded her arms, making movement towards him and over to the front door as Punk turned to AJ who was standing.

"Don't be mad with her." AJ shook her head, "She's… she just wants answers."

"I know she does. I know her better than you do." Punk said, "You're not doing this. You're not just floating around and messing with our heads, showing up at the hospital and then disappearing just as quick-"

"Wait, what?" Freddie shook her head as Punk paused, his eyes going wide as Freddie walked towards them, "You were at the hospital?" She asked AJ, "When?"

"I just… when you were committed I just wanted to see if you were ok-"

"And you never told me she was there?" Freddie turned to Punk.

"You didn't need to know." Punk said.

"That-That's not the point." Freddie shook her head, "You lied to me. You never lie to me." She said with confusion.

"I didn't want to upset you." Punk said as Freddie shook her head and backed away from him.

"You… you two deserve each other. You're both… you're both liars." She shook her head, backing away and leaving the apartment.

"Freddie." Punk walked after her, watching her as she ran off down the stairs and out of the building door before he could say anything else.


	24. One Of Them

**One Of Them**

* * *

"What did you say to her?" Punk turned back to AJ, "How did she even find out where you live?" He asked.

"I don't know." AJ shook her head, "I just told her what I told you. Phil, she can't… you both can't be here." She said. She knew it sounded like she was telling him to go away, but she was still trying to protect him. If her parents saw him or Freddie around her apartment, she knew what would happen.

"Yeah, ok. I get the point." Punk said, "It's not my fault she just wants some answers from her mom. Hell we all do." He said, "You think I don't know you well enough to know when there's more to a story with you." He said, "Do you have any idea what it's been like? Trying to raise her on my own. Not knowing what the fuck I've been doing, if I've been doing it right or wrong, if she's happy or not." Punk said, "You expect me to believe that you just up and left because you found it difficult? Well I don't believe you."

"Phil, I can't get into this with you. I should never have come back and saw you. You won't ever understand how sorry I am." She said.

"You're right. I won't." Punk said, "I found it hard too, you know. I found it hard but not once did I think about leaving my kid." He said, "Now you're here living in some… nice apartment with your fancy job, not giving a second thought about us." He said, "Maybe you are just a stone cold bitch." He nodded.

"Phil, I never wanted to hurt you, or Freddie. Knowing I did kills me. I've lived with it every day. Every birthday, every Christmas that went by where I spent alone, I wanted to be with you and Freddie. Don't you think I would have stayed if I could-"

"What do you mean if you could? Why couldn't you?" Punk asked, "Is someone pulling your strings?" He said.

"No, of course not." AJ said immediately, "I was ill, I needed to be on my own. I was a danger to myself and to everyone around me-"

"You got help and you were doing good. You knew my family would have helped you and supported you. The fact you just took off and came back here, started speaking with your parents, after everything they said to you… maybe you are out of your mind." He nodded.

"Don't say that." AJ shook her head, "You just don't understand. You don't get what I've had to do. And you never will, so you should just go." She said. It was breaking her in two. To see these two people who she cared about like no one else in the world, be so mad with her, be so hurt by her, it was torture.

"I don't even know you." Punk shook his head, "I don't." He said as AJ gulped and looked across at him.

He was about to leave the apartment when he felt his phone vibrating in his pocket, pulling it out as he saw it was Freddie, answering it and placing it against his ear, "Alright, slow down, slow down." Punk said as he listened to her ramble on, "What do you mean you're lost?" He asked as AJ looked over, "Ok. Just stay where you are, I'll come get you." He nodded, hanging up on the call and looking over to AJ.

"Is she ok?" AJ asked worriedly.

"She doesn't know where she is." Punk said, "Just… stop doing this-"

"Phil I never did anything." AJ said, "She came looking for me, ok, that isn't my fault-"

"You should never have showed up the way you did and just left again. Freddie's right, I'm not buying the reason that you left was just because you found it hard, I know you, I think you forget that. You loved Freddie, you were great with her for the small amount of time that I saw you with her." He said, "And you were fairly happy, we were happy." He said, "And then you just left. That isn't right and I've tried to tell myself all these years to let it go, but I can't, and now my daughter is starting to feel the same way and she wants her answers, and rightly so."

"I gave her all the answers I have." AJ said, "And you." She said, "I can't be her mom."

"You won't ever be. You don't have to worry about that." Punk nodded, "Just please… stay away from us and we'll stay away from you." He said, it killing him to say such things to a woman he still loved dearly, but it was too hard.

Punk left the apartment, feeling like his head was going to burst, running down the block stairs and walking out back into the street. Unlike Freddie, he had to put his hood up and keep his head down. He was a recognisable face in the north that would no doubt be spotted in a negative way.

He headed down the street to where Freddie told him he was, looking up as he saw her standing with a group of younger boys around her as though they'd never saw the female species before.

He sped up his walk, pushing by the boys, grabbing some of them by the scruff of the neck to move them out of the way. Just because the north was a better social class didn't mean it didn't have its thugs and hidden groups.

"Can I help you?" Punk asked them, standing in front of Freddie like a lion protecting his cub, narrowing his eyes at the boys as they stood looking up at him.

"Who the fuck are you?" One of them scoffed as Punk immediately latched his hand around his neck and pinned him against the light post.

"I just asked them for directions." Freddie told her father, gulping as she watched him choke out a boy not much older than she was.

"In exchange for what?" Punk spat, tightening his grip around the boys neck whilst the others hovered around with worry, "Look in her general direction again and I'll kill you." Punk nodded as one of the boys noticed the raven tattoo on the inside of Punk's wrist.

"Oh, shit. He's one of them." One of the boys said, slowly but surely running off as Punk let go of the boy he had a grip on, watching as he held his neck as he ran off down the street.

Punk shook his head and turned around to Freddie who looked up at him and folded her arms, "You're an animal." Freddie shook her head.

"And you're a young girl walking around streets at 2am on your own." Punk said, "What'd they say to you?"

"Nothing. I asked them for directions, they stopped, talked to me-"

"Yeah and you'd only have to blink and something terrible could have happened." Punk said.

"I can handle myself." Freddie said, walking along the street with him.

"There was five of them." Punk turned to her.

"More the merrier I always say." Freddie smirked as he shook his head.

"It's not funny." Punk made himself clear, "Why did you not tell me you wanted to go talk to your mom?"

"Because I knew you wouldn't let me." Freddie said, "I just wanted to see her face and… see what she had to say." Freddie said, "But it turns out you're just as big a liar as she probably is-"

"You were in a psych ward and I wanted you to focus on getting better. You didn't need to know that she had stuck her head into the room and disappeared again, what good would it do?" Punk asked.

"I had a right to know." Freddie said, "I just… hate how complicated things feel. I wish she was like… a scum bag drug whore or something so I could really hate her but she just seems normal." She sighed, "But I'm not buying her excuses. I'm not."

"I don't think anyone is." Punk said, "But… we've went this long without her, and she clearly doesn't want anything to do with us-"

"She looked frightened." Freddie looked up at him, eventually heading back into the south side, "Like she was scared I was there and I don't know why." She sighed.

"If she wants us to stay away then that's what we gotta do, no matter what we think she's lying about, maybe she's just… not the same person I thought she was." He said as Freddie just sighed and shook her head, "Can we jump into the Owl for a second?" Punk asked her.

"Go for it." Freddie nodded, following him into the bar, waiting by the door as she watched him disappeared through all the people.

Punk walked on through the owl, saying hello to the people he passed by, finding his father sitting at the bar.

"Phil, what's up?" Julio asked.

"Oh, nothing just had to collect Freddie from AJ's." Punk said.

"AJ's?" Julio shook his head.

"Yeah." Punk said, "She… wanted answers, AJ didn't have them for her, obviously." Punk nodded, "I need a favour, though."

"What?" Julio asked.

"When we were leaving the north these boys crowded Freddie. I think they were part of that triangle group. Freddie thinks they were being nice but… well you know what they get up to."

"What'd they do to her?" Julio stood up.

"Nothing. Thankfully." Punk said, "But… I only kept my cool because Fred was there. Any chance you could sort it out for me?" He asked as Julio nodded.

"You don't even have to ask." Julio said as Punk nodded, "They'll be dealt with."

"Thanks." Punk nodded.

"Oh and Phil." Julio said as Punk nodded, "Your mom is awful worried about all of this going on with April. She's starting to second guess everything, question everything, you couldn't maybe go see her at some point, just to give her that assurance." Julio said.

"To be honest, I'm second guessing it myself." Punk nodded, "I don't want to say too much in front of Freddie because I don't want this to… affect her in any way, set her back from her recovery but… I know April, I do… something isn't right." He said. He knew there was something going on, part of him wanted to continue to ignore it, but the part of him that still loved AJ, which was most of him, was conflicted.

"What are you getting at?" Julio asked him.

"Well what if someone is hurting her? Threatening her?" Punk asked him, "All this time? She looks scared, dad. Scared of something. Someone." He sighed.

"If you think she's in danger then… I'll help you with whatever it is you need." Julio said as Punk turned around, looking over at Freddie standing at the door.

"I don't know what to do." Punk admitted truthfully, "I… I have no idea what's going on."


	25. The Truth

**The Truth**

* * *

"I'm sorry I had no choice but to tell him. He was all worried." Jenny told Freddie as Freddie grilled her for telling her father where she was when she went to visit her mother.

A few days had gone by and Punk had gone back to work whilst Freddie still stayed at home. She was mostly following her school work at home, but didn't feel ready to return back into school yet. Her and Punk had spoken about her mother, they'd talked things out and whilst she desperately wanted to hold onto this idea that there was some other reason her mother had left them, they both agreed that it was only torturing themselves, and that they had to just carry on with their lives, the way they had been doing all this time anyway.

"It's fine." Freddie shook her head, sitting on her bed against the headboard whilst Jenny and Lucy sat at the bottom of the bed, "Just… nothing feels right." Freddie sighed.

"What do you mean?" Lucy asked her.

"I don't know. My dad is just pretending nothing has happened, Toni is being all weird and quiet." Freddie said, "I haven't saw Julio in a few days. I just feel like everyone is talking about but… at the same time… no one is." Freddie sighed.

"As your friend…" Jenny said, "I think you need to forget about it, I know it's easy for me to say that but you've got a lot going on. You're dealing with this new thing, this new illness you aren't familiar with, you've just gotten out of the hospital, you should be focusing on you and getting back to your normal self. I know with your mom, you just want answers, I would too." Jenny nodded, "But you gotta think about yourself right now, I think that's what your dad is trying to tell you." She said as Freddie nodded.

"He got all weird when we were walking home from the north." Freddie admitted.

"What do you mean?" Lucy asked.

"Well… I went on ahead and I ended up not knowing where I was, so I stopped these boys and asked them for directions. They were nice, little bit older, maybe a little too friendly but nothing ridiculous." She said, "My dad almost choked one of them to death when he came around the corner." Freddie shook her head as Jenny laughed a little, "And then we stopped by at the Owl and he was talking to Julio for ages."

"He's just protective." Lucy said.

"When they saw his tattoo they all ran off like thunder." Freddie said.

"Speaking of, when are you getting the tattoo?" Jenny asked, "And where you gonna get it?"

"I don't even know if I want it." Freddie shook her head, "I feel it's just a brand. Like, yeah it's my family and friends but… I don't want it to define me. I don't want to walk into the north and get stabbed because I have that tattoo." She said.

"Well it's not like your dad will force you. You could always get it somewhere no one would see." Lucy shrugged.

"Get it on your ass." Jenny nodded as Freddie rolled her eyes, "When are you coming back to school? We miss you." She said.

"I don't know." Freddie said, "I still feel like shit. I'm better from what I was but… all this stuff with my mom is just… it's confusing me and I don't know what to think anymore. I just want to sleep all the time, and I know it's not good for me." She said, "I really need to take up a hobby or something." She shook her head.

"You do have a hobby, you have art." Lucy said.

"I mean like a hobby where I need to move and leave the apartment." Freddie said, "Maybe a sport or something."

"Weren't you on the school track team when you were like eleven?" Lucy remembered.

"Yeah." Freddie said, "I grew to hate it though." She said, "Maybe I'll start going to the gym or something."

"Yeah that could work." Lucy nodded, "I wouldn't lose sleep over this whole thing with your mom. I mean, you don't know the woman-"

"I feel like I do." Freddie sighed.

"Ok but… she's happy living her life without you in it so… you should just forget she exists and move on, the way you've always done. I mean, why the sudden interest in her? You always said you didn't need a mom-"

"Just… being diagnosed made me think more about her and what she's doing. I don't know. I just got curious." Freddie said, "And you know, she seems like an ok person, but she's full of shit." Freddie nodded, "She had a picture on the fridge of me, her and my dad when I was just born… like, she's full of mixed signals, you know? I thought this woman won't give a damn I'm here, she doesn't care, but then I see that, and I see her almost crying, well she was crying… I just… I don't get it." She said with so much frustration in her voice as Jenny and Lucy frowned.

"Look, it's your decision on what you want but… you've rocked it not having a mom for eighteen years and… you and your dad have done fine, right?" Lucy said as Freddie nodded, "So… let her do what she wants, why should you be the one to chase her down?"

"I know." Freddie nodded, "That's what my dad says." She said, "It's just weird, that's all." She said.

"You'll be alright." Jenny nodded, "There's just been a lot going on for you right but… it'll get better." She smiled as Freddie nodded with a small smile.

* * *

Punk got finished up at the tattoo parlour earlier so he could head to where he was planning to go. After a few days of things calming down and talking with his parents, he realised that he had to question AJ until he got the answers out of her, for his own peace of mind and also Freddie's, because he knew she was finding all of this tough and that hurt him the most.

He left the parlour and headed across town into the north, finding the address he remembered and walking into the apartment block. He knew if there was anyone that could push for answers it would be him. He wasn't leaving without them. Proper ones.

He walked up the stairs and knocked on the apartment door, waiting outside patiently until he heard someone approach the door and open it up, looking on at AJ as she looked up at him and leaned her head against the side of the door.

"Let me in." Punk nodded as AJ stepped to the side and let him in without even arguing about it.

"Phil." AJ sighed, "Please… we shouldn't… we shouldn't be doing this to ourselves-"

"You're going to tell me the truth." Punk said, turning around to her once he got in and she closed the door over, "You're gonna tell me why you left all those years ago, and more importantly, why you've stayed away for so long." Punk nodded as AJ looked across at him, "I know you're scared, which means you're scared of me finding out about something." He said, "I'm not gonna shout, I just want to know the truth. I think I deserve it." He nodded as AJ looked across at him and sighed.

She was just so scared about the consequences of her actions and words, and what would happen if someone, meaning her mother or father, found out about this. It meant all those years of staying away to protect him would have been for nothing, but she didn't know if she could continue to hurt him and keep it from him for much longer.

"I…" AJ looked across at him, not knowing what to say.

"Was someone hurting you?" Punk asked her. After talking to Toni and getting her opinion, he was worried that this was the case, that someone had hurt her and she left to avoid any confrontation about it. He hoped it wasn't the case but he couldn't help but wonder.

"No, I was fine." AJ sighed.

"Is someone hurting you now?" Punk asked.

"No." AJ shook her head, "Phil you can't… you can't know this, so me telling you-"

"Tell me." Punk told her.

"A few weeks after I had Freddie my dad came to see me at your parents house." AJ said, "I thought maybe he was coming to see Freddie but… he came with a threat." She nodded, "At the time there was all that shit going on with your dad and that body he hid." She said, "My dad had… has footage of Julio moving the body." She nodded as Punk tilted his head, "And little fifteen year old you in it too." She looked up at him as Punk gulped and shook his head.

"Tell me this isn't going where I think it is." Punk said.

"He…" AJ looked down at the ground, "He told me that if I didn't leave your family, leave you and Freddie, that he would give that footage to the police and that you and Julio would go to prison for a long time. He also… figured it out that the body was your biological father and that you were the one who… who killed him." AJ nodded as Punk ran his hand through his hair. Out of all the things he thought of, this wasn't one of them.

"It… It wasn't me." Punk shook his head, "How does he have that on footage? What does that even mean?"

"He just had like a video on his phone, it was like from a video camera. Any cop who looked at it would have known what was going on… they would have arrested you both immediately." AJ said, "So he gave me the choice. I either, stayed with your family and raised my daughter but you went off to prison with Julio. Or I left, and you'd be ok, and Freddie would be with her dad and her family." She nodded, "The whole thing led to me having my psychotic break. It was too much for me. So once I got better in hospital, I just made my decision and my parents took me here, paid for me to get a degree, pretends every day that nothing is wrong." AJ said, "And I have a daughter out there who hates me and thinks that I never wanted her." AJ nodded, looking down at the ground with teary eyes as Punk ran his hand over his face, "But I did want her." AJ said with a lump in her throat, "And I didn't want to leave you both but I… I wanted you to be ok." She said as Punk gulped, "I didn't care about what you did or what was going on but I knew that footage proved a lot-"

"it-It wasn't me." Punk shook his head, "It was Julio. I… my dad… we were fighting. He was drunk and… hitting me… I called Julio and they got into a big fight. He never meant to kill him but… giving where he come from the cops wouldn't have believed that so he needed to hide to the body and I… I helped." Punk said, "And he took me in."

"I just… I didn't ask questions or think about… I just knew that it was enough to put you both in prison, no matter who did what, and I… I didn't want to risk that." She said. She couldn't describe how good yet terrifying it still felt to tell him the truth after all this time. She felt like she could breathe after being held under water for so long.

"Why didn't you tell me back then? We could have dealt with it, and your dad-"

"Because I didn't to bring anyone into it or have anything bad happen. I just… I was terrified of him going to the police with it and I just had to go." AJ shook her head as Punk looked down at her.

"I can't believe this." Punk shook his head.

"That's why I've stayed away. He told me that if he ever saw me near your or Freddie, that he'd go straight to the cops with the video, so that's why every time you come see me or when Freddie shows up at my door, I have a heart attack because I'm scared incase my dad walks in and he… he has that video against us, against you-"

"I'll get the video. I'll deal with him, just like I could have if you told me when he came to you at first." Punk said, "You didn't have to be controlled by them like this, April." Punk shook his head.

"I think he has other people involved too. He's rich, he can pay his way towards things." AJ said, "I just didn't want you involved in case he found out and he just went straight to the police." She said, "I'm still scared he'll do that."

"You don't… You don't have to be scared." Punk sighed, it felt good to finally have the truth but he also couldn't believe what the truth actually was and how imprisoned this had made AJ feel and what her parents had made her do, all to protect him and make sure he and Julio didn't go to prison. He felt bad for even thinking that she walked out on her own terms, and it all suddenly made sense.

"I… I just thought it was my only choice." AJ cried, wiping her eyes, "To me it was my only choice." She shook her head as Punk nodded and inched towards her.

"It's… It's ok." Punk sighed, slowly wrapping his arms around her as she rested into him. Feeling his body so close again was like a blessing after all this time, and finally getting everything off her chest was the biggest breath of fresh air she'd had, but it didn't mean things were ok, if anything it had made things more complicated, but she was just glad that he knew the truth, "It's gonna be ok." Punk sighed, rubbing her back softly, rage suddenly filling him as he realised who the real people were who had driven AJ away and tore apart his family, who had threatened her and caused her to miss out on her daughter's life. He had never been madder.


	26. Careful

**Careful**

* * *

"No… wait, Phil you can't." AJ shook her head, watching as Punk headed towards the door. They had embraced for a while whilst AJ really took in that comforting feeling of him, but she knew when he was angry, and the last thing she wanted was for him to murder her father.

"He did this." Punk said, "He made you leave us." Punk turned to her, "Tell me why I shouldn't go beat his ass?"

"Because he has that video and he will go straight to the police, trust me." AJ nodded, "I… One time I tried to go back and find you. Freddie could only have been like… two or three, he found out and sent the video to me. He still has it and if anyone gets their hands on it, you and Julio are done for." AJ shook her head.

"AJ he's kept you a prisoner here for eighteen years. You can't keep living like this." Punk said, he couldn't imagine how she felt. He thought about if he was in her shoes, and he knew he would have done the same to protect her, he just wished she had told him right at the very beginning, not eighteen years later.

"I have to or else you'll go to prison." AJ shook her head.

"I'll get the video off of him." Punk nodded, "You can't live your life like this April. You've… you've been threatened, blackmailed by your own father, he deserves more than a fucking beating." He said, trying to get towards the door as she pulled him back by the arm.

"Please just… don't." AJ shook her head, "He could go straight to the police and I… I can't let that happen. Freddie needs you." She said, "My parents can't know you've been here, or Freddie." She said as Punk looked down at her. She was scared and probably because her father had constantly inflicted this type of fear onto her. He was mad, but also incredibly upset that this was how things had actually played out. He felt stupid for even thinking she just left on her own terms, and he wished he had gone after her now but he knew there was no point in telling himself what he should have done.

"This is all his fault." Punk said, "He took you away from your own kid. You should have just told me and… and we could have dealt with it before he got the chance to go to the cops." Punk said, placing his hands on her shoulders as AJ sighed.

"I was too afraid. I thought he'd find out someway and it'd be too late. I couldn't watch you or Julio go to prison, especially when I had the power to make sure you didn't. I had to go." AJ shook her head as Punk sighed. She was fiercely loyal, he knew that, the fact she had sacrificed her only life, having a relationship with her own daughter, just to protect him and make sure he and Julio didn't go to prison, it was selfless and he wasn't surprised she had done it.

"We can fix this." Punk nodded as AJ shook her head.

"No. We… It has to be this way." AJ said.

"No, April. This isn't happening. You can't live here like a prisoner, like your father's puppet, just because he's insecure about the fact you found a new family who loved you and supported you the way yours couldn't." Punk said, "Freddie knew there was something up."

"I know but I just couldn't tell her." AJ shook her head, "I don't want her involved in any of this mess. She's got enough going on as it is." She sighed, "I'm so sorry I couldn't do anything else-"

"No, you don't have to apologise." Punk nodded with assurance. She had been manipulated, threatened and mentally abused, now that he knew that, he didn't expect any apology from her, "But I'm not… we can't just ignore this now, I won't let you suffer any longer." He said as AJ looked up at him.

"But you can't… you don't know what he's going to do-"

"He's not gonna have the chance to do anything." Punk shook his head, "He's got away with this shit for way too long now." He told her. He could see she was a bag of nerves and that's what her father had made her. He wanted to cause real pain and damage on him but he knew that wasn't the best way around it.

"But what are you going to do?" AJ asked him.

"I don't know." Punk said softly, "But we have to do something, April. You can't… live like this, it's not fair." He said. The fact that her father was the reason that his daughter didn't get to have a mother growing up was now something that was raging in his stomach. He'd never been this angry before.

"But he has so much against you, against Julio." AJ said.

"We'll find away to get it from him, and give him what he deserves in the process." Punk nodded, "Right now… you just gotta pretend everything is normal, don't act any different." He said, "I'm gonna have to tell Julio and Toni. And… Freddie." He nodded.

"But more people knowing gives him a chance to find out." AJ shook her head with paranoia.

"Hey, look at me." Punk said, placing his hands on her arms as she looked at him, "No one is gonna know. We're family. You… are family." He said, "Julio and Toni are gonna look at this like a kidnap, which is kinda what it is." He nodded, "And they will know how to go around this, and I'm gonna get you out of here." Punk nodded as AJ sighed, "It's gonna be ok, I promise you." He nodded.

She'd waited so long to hear those words and feel him close. Too long. She was still scared but his protection, his assurance meant the world. She guessed she'd never really thought about how bad the whole thing was, how much of a prisoner she really had become to her parents.

"Thank you." AJ whispered, looking up at him as he stepped in a little closer to her, looking down at her as she looked up, not being able to help themselves if they tried, both meeting their lips halfway as he placed his hands on her waist.

She'd dreamed about kissing him again one day although she never suspected it would happen. She'd almost forgot about how he made her feel and what love they really had, and she just wanted to disappear into him.

Punk wanted her to know he still cared, he'd always cared but tried to convince himself he didn't to make it easier, but knowing she hadn't left out of her own choice, it made him feel like he needed to protect her that little bit more, and save her from this life she had been so unfairly forced into.

"You should… you should go." AJ whispered, placing her hand on his chest as she broke away from the soft kiss that she could have carried out all night.

Punk nodded in agreement. He knew if he stayed any longer, something inevitable would happen and he wasn't sure he was even ready for that after so long, not to mention he knew Freddie would wonder where he was.

"I'll be back." Punk nodded, "I'll talk to Julio and Toni… you don't have to worry." He shook his head as AJ just nodded.

* * *

When Punk left AJ's apartment he headed straight to Julio's and Toni's. He dropped Freddie a text telling her he got caught up at the parlour, he knew she had her friends over anyway and probably wouldn't have noticed he was late.

Once he explained to Julio and Toni what had really happened, why AJ had really left, Julio looked just as mad as he was, and Toni looked terrified.

"I'll kill him." Julio said, "I'll kill him with my bare hands." He slammed his hand down on the kitchen counter as Toni jumped.

"I know I feel the same but we have to go about this in the right way." Punk said, "He could have dozens of copies somewhere." He said as Julio placed his hand over his face and shook his head angrily.

"Why didn't she tell us when he came to her?" Toni asked, "We could have fixed it back then rather than… rather than eighteen years later." She shook her head.

"She was scared. She didn't know what to do. She thought we'd go to prison so she made her decision based on that. I mean they bought her an apartment, put her in university to get a degree, she has no friends out there… I… I should have questioned it all sooner, as soon as she left." Punk shook his head.

"No, we're not doing that. We're not blaming ourselves." Julio said, "We know now, that's what matters." He said, followed by grumbling a little as he massaged his temples, "We're gonna need to go in full steam ahead. I mean, he is… he is messing with the wrong people, too many people. If he doesn't give up all of his copies of that video, then I will kill him." Julio said as Punk gulped and turned to Toni who just shook her head.

"Murdering people is what got us here in the first place." Toni spat, standing up, "No one is doing anything." She warned, looking at her husband, "We just play this cool. AJ carries on like nothing is going on and we… we get that footage, once we have it, then we can deal with him on a more personal and physical level, get AJ out of that rotten town and make sure they never come near us again." Toni said.

"So what are you saying exactly? We get the footage without Rick even noticing?" Punk asked.

"Not us." Toni shook her head, "AJ. She's close with them now. She could find it somehow, with a little help from us of course." Toni said.

"And what if she gets caught? Do you have any idea what her dad would do to her? He's a fucking monster." Punk said.

"Well we can't just break in and start fucking him up." Julio said, "Your mother is right. This is… this is serious stuff. He slips that video, whatever it shows, to the cops, that's me and you over." Julio reminded him as Punk sighed and nodded.

"I know." Punk said.

"So we have to be careful." Toni said, "Tread lightly. AJ has easy access to her father, to his house-"

"Do you think he's gonna have it lying around? It's probably on his phone or a laptop." Punk said.

"Then we take the time to figure it out. But we stay on our side and we don't show our faces. As soon as he smells something going on, that video is going straight to the station." Julio nodded, "We're playing a dangerous game here." He nodded, "One mistake, one slip up, and we're behind bars." He said as Punk ran his hand through his hair and gulped.

"We'll get it." Toni nodded, "We will. And he'll get what he deserves at the same time. Believe me."


	27. Explanation

**Explanation**

* * *

"Where have you been?" Freddie asked, coming out of her room once she heard her father get home. It was way later than he was usually home. Jenny and Lucy hadn't long left, and she was immediately suspicious.

"I stopped by at Julio and Toni's." Punk told her as Freddie nodded, following him into the kitchen.

"Why'd you stop by there?" Freddie asked, "It's not like it's on your way home." She said as Punk nodded and smiled a little.

"Nothing gets past you, does it?" He said as Freddie looked at him, "Ok, sit down." He nodded as Freddie took a seat at the kitchen table, "You had dinner?" He asked her.

"Yeah I had something earlier." Freddie nodded, "What is it?" She asked, eager to know what he had to say.

"Ok well… I was at your mom's place too." He nodded to her. He had no reason to lie to his own daughter and he knew she could handle what he had to say, she was a strong person.

"Why were you there?" Freddie asked a little angrily, "After getting mad with me for going?"

"Because I know your mom and I… like you, I suspected there was more going on with her. I thought that maybe if I went on my own, where it was just me, she'd maybe tell me, and she did." Punk nodded, "And it's not good." He told her truthfully as Freddie gulped and looked across at him.

"What? What happened?" Freddie asked as Punk took a seat across from her at the table.

"When I was a kid, my real parents… they weren't good to me. My dad in particular. He was an alcoholic and… because of that he became abusive towards me and my mom. I was a scrapper though, I would try fight back with him but... it still bruised my mind that my own dad was ok with hitting me, or hitting my mom." Punk said, "I hung around with Dean so much that I just became part of his family. I slept there, I ate there, I spent Christmas morning there." Punk said, "Toni and Julio wanted to… officially be guardians… my parents, so they… Julio went to my dad to talk to him about it, I tagged along." Punk said, "I was up getting some of my shit from my room, the very few things I had left, and I heard this fight going on downstairs. I went down to see if everything was ok and I walked into the kitchen just in time to see Julio crack my dead over the head. He fell, and hit himself off the counter which I think was the cause of his death." Punk said as Freddie raised her eyebrows.

"Wait… Julio killed your dad?" Freddie shook her head.

"Yeah but it wasn't on purpose. It was accident. My dad was getting in Julio's face, tried to swing first but Julio swung first." Punk said, "At this point, I was already in with the Ravens and I knew that there was no way that Julio would call the cops." He explained, "So we had to the move the body and bury it." Punk nodded.

"Dad." Freddie gasped, "You're… You're an accomplice to a murder." Freddie shook her heads, "Your own dad. How-How did you just… hide a body?"

"He was a bad person." Punk said, "I won't go as far as saying I'm glad he died but… he never cared about me or my safety so… he wasn't my dad, not to me." Punk said, "It was…it seemed like the only option we had." Punk nodded, "So we took him to the quary, it was late, dark and no one was there. We buried him." Punk nodded.

"Dad this is ridiculous." Freddie said, "You're just as good as a murderer."

"It was an accident. Self-defence." Punk told her, "Anyway, I was fifteen at this point." He said, "Fast forward three years later I am having a baby with my girlfriend and these… strange things keep happening. Spray paint on the door of the Owl saying 'murderers' and our window got panned in a few times." He nodded, "Me and Julio just kept quiet, your mom didn't know anything at this point but… they found the body, it couldn't be identified but some of Julio's fingerprints were around the quary, around the body. He got some shady ass lawyer to get him out of it and that was it." Punk nodded, "And then what I believed was your mom left because it got too much for her."

"She didn't, did she?" Freddie asked, "I'm only assuming it has something to do with this body otherwise you wouldn't have told me."

"Turns out her father has video footage from that night that we buried the body of me and Julio either moving the body or burying it." Punk said, "So when he found out that I was having a kid with your mom, he… he came to her and threatened her. Said if she didn't leave he would go to the police and me and Julio would be put in prison." Punk said, "That then lead to her breakdown and I guess she made her decision when she left the hospital. Her parents put her in university, got her an apartment and told her that if she ever came near me or you ever again, that video would go to the police and… well I'd essentially be done for, and Julio." Punk said.

"What the hell." Freddie shook her head.

"So she… she left because she didn't want me to go to prison, or Julio." Punk nodded.

"Why couldn't she just tell you that when he came to threaten her?" Freddie asked.

"She was afraid her dad would find out and just go to the police. He's got this against us all now, but… he's not gonna get away with it." Punk said, "He's a bad man, people like to throw it around that we're bad, bad family, bad neighbourhood, but the worst ones are the ones who are hiding behind their suits, behind their success, their nice homes and neighbourhoods. I mean… he probably has friends that he pays to watch your mom… I mean, this is ridiculous and it's not what I expected." Punk said, "So I told Julio and Toni, they think it's best if AJ is the one who somehow gets the footage. That's our main concern right now."

"But what if she gets caught? They'll know something is up." Freddie shook her head, "Would he hurt her?"

"I-I don't know. I don't think so. She needs to… find a way around it. I can't go break into their house and steal it." Punk said.

"Why not?" Freddie asked and shrugged.

"Because he'll figure out that your mom has told me and he'll… he'll go straight to the police. We gotta… we gotta tread lightly, and before you ask or suggest, you're not getting involved with any of it." Punk warned her as Freddie folded her arms.

"He could have multiple copies." Freddie said.

"I know, it's… it's a mess." He shook his head, running his hand through his hair as Freddie watched him, it was the first time that she'd saw him really stressed and lost on what to do. All she could think about was that her mother hadn't really left because she didn't want her. She always had a hunch that was the case but to know that she really hadn't left out of choice was a huge relief above anything else, even though she wasn't fond of the entire situation that her parents were now in.

"It'll work out. There's one of him and a ton of us." Freddie said, "We'll… We'll figure it out, right?"

"You won't do anything. You'll not pay attention and focusing on yourself, getting back to school soon." Punk nodded to her.

"Don't treat me like a kid." Freddie warned him calmly, "She's my mom. This man is responsible for her not being here, I… I wanna help."

"Well I don't want you involved, ok?" Punk said, "You don't need anything triggering you or… setting you back, you've been doing good since you got out-"

"Not everything has to be about the bipolar disorder." Freddie rolled her eyes.

"I'm not saying it is." Punk said, "But there is no reason for you to be involved with this, and I don't want you to be-"

"What if he sends it to the police and you go to prison?" Freddie suddenly wondered as Punk shook his head.

"That's not gonna happen." Punk told her.

"It could." Freddie said, "And then what?" She asked worriedly.

"It's not." Punk said, "We're gonna get those videos. I don't know how but we will."

"And then what? Mom comes here and we all live happily ever after?" Freddie asked him, "She's still missed my entire life-"

"I know she has, but… it's not her fault." Punk said, "Let me just focus on getting this video or videos, and then we can talk about what's gonna happen." He nodded.

"You gonna get back with her?" Freddie asked quietly as Punk looked over at her.

"It's not what I'm thinking about right now." He said, lying slightly, still thinking about the kiss he and AJ shared, "She's literally just came back into our lives." He said as Freddie nodded.

"Well can you at least tell me what's going on and don't leave me in the dark, even if you don't want me involved?" Freddie asked.

"Yeah, I'll let you know." Punk nodded, "You need to promise me you'll stay out of it though." He said, "I know what you're like."

"What am I like?" Freddie gasped.

"Think you can handle everything and take on the world." Punk said.

"That's cause I can." Freddie shrugged bluntly as Punk smiled, "Don't worry, I wouldn't risk you going to prison for life, I'm not that stupid." She said.

"Don't worry about it either. We'll figure it out some way." Punk nodded.

"Why did you never tell me about… your dad?" Freddie asked him.

"It's not something I wanted my daughter to know, to be honest." Punk said, "And I don't like talking about it."

"If it was an accident then… it wasn't your fault, or Julio's. It's not like he plotted and went out to murder him or anything." Freddie said, "I know he was still your dad but-"

"But I hated him and…" He bit his tongue, "It's what he deserved." He unbit his tongue and looked across at her as she gulped a little. She never really saw her father in a violent, unforgiving light. He'd always been this amazing, do the right thing kind of guy her entire life, but she supposed growing up meant learning the family secrets.

"Was he always bad to you?" Freddie asked him.

"For the most part. I just started living at Julio and Toni's. I stopped going home. That wasn't my home. It just made sense for them to adopt me I guess." Punk nodded.

"So what did everyone think happened to your dad? I mean if the body was never identified as him-"

"My mom assumed that he ran off. She was doped up on whatever drugs she was on at the time, so she signed over the papers, didn't want anything to do with me either." Punk said, "She's dead now." Punk said as Freddie looked across at him, "Don't look at me like that."

"Like what?" Freddie shook her head.

"Like you wanna… give me a hug and feel bad for me." Punk said, "They were ever my family. My family is Julio, Toni, Dean, you…" He paused, "That's my family, nothing and no one else matters."

"Mom still your family?" Freddie asked.

"Stop trying to catch me out, girl. I know your game." Punk said as Freddie smiled, "It's all unfortunate the way this has happened, you know." He said, "I thought it was your mom to blame this entire time and… she… she was doing it to make sure I was ok." He shook his head.

"I hope you beat his ass once you get the videos." Freddie said.

"I hope I do too." Punk shook his head, it was all he'd been dreaming about since AJ had told him, "It's gonna be ok, though. Don't lose sleep over it." Punk said, "Just… focus on yourself." He said as Freddie nodded, standing up from the table.

"Just be careful." Freddie nodded. She knew that it was serious and that the last thing her father needed was her getting involved, but that didn't mean she didn't want to help out or at least be in the know of what was going on. This was her mother after all, and everything that had gone on had really turned her perspective on her. It seemed like she had no choice and she couldn't be mad at that. She just hoped that whatever videos there were, that they were retrieved.

"I will be." Punk nodded to her, "You get to sleep, yeah?" He said.

"Yeah. Goodnight." Freddie nodded, patting him on the back as he smiled, watching her as she left the kitchen, sighing to himself as he realised this was going to be a lot harder than he thought.


	28. Looking Out

**Looking Out**

* * *

"Why is everyone staring at me?" Freddie asked, returning to school the next week, sitting down at the lunch table with Jenny and Lucy. She didn't know if it was just her mind playing tricks with her or if everyone really was staring at her.

"No one is staring." Jenny shook her head.

"They are." Freddie whispered, looking around the tables, "Is this how you get attention in this school? Try and kill yourself?" She asked them, shaking her head.

"No one is staring, Freddie. It's fine." Lucy nodded, "It's just in your head."

"Yeah, maybe." Freddie nodded, "My dad wants me to see the school councillor as well as the therapist I'm seeing outwith school. He thinks this place is what makes me… I don't know, like triggered." She said.

"Maybe it's a good idea." Jenny nodded, "It's not like you need help with school work but… just to talk to someone about how you're feeling, you know you can always talk to us but… I know it's not an easy thing to do." She said.

"I might go during my free period later, just to meet her." Freddie shrugged just as she watched a group of girls from over in the popular area walk over, "Someone will have to hold me back if they start talking shit." Freddie whispered to her friends, watching as the girls stood in front of the table.

"You can't do anything right, can you?" One of them laughed, "Can't even kill yourself properly." She shook her head as Freddie put her sandwich down and looked up, "How does it feel?" She asked, "Knowing that you could have… you could have died and no one here would have given a crap. We would all carry on like normal, as if nothing even happened." She smiled.

"You're just sour I poured a drink over you." Freddie mumbled.

"Yeah well I put that down to you being a psychopath." The girl shook her head, "Seriously, they have special schools for people like you-"

"People like me?" Freddie stood up from the chair, looking across at the girls whilst she watched other members of the group join and stand behind.

"I think it's time you get a taste of your own medicine." The girl said, "Well… we know you're already on psycho medicine." She smiled as they laughed, "Someone grab her."

Freddie gulped a little, suddenly feeling smaller than ever, taking a step back as she looked at them all, suddenly she had this anxiety she'd never felt before. She didn't know whether to run or hide, but she didn't have to.

"How about you lot take a seat."

Freddie turned around, watching as the group of Raven's who sat over by the corner walked over. They sported ripped up clothes, leather jackets, caps and hats and put the fear of God in everyone.

The group facing Freddie immediately lost their smirks as the Raven's stood behind Freddie.

"Nice to know the bikers have your back, Freddie." The girl nodded, backing away slowly as they all split whilst Freddie turned around to the whole group of guys and girls who very rarely even acknowledged her.

"What… why did you do that?" Freddie asked them.

"Family takes care of family." One of them, Rocky, nodded.

"I'm not… I don't have the-"

"We know who your old man is." Rocky said, "We respect him, and we respect you."

"You don't know me." Freddie laughed a little.

"Just… take the help or get beat up next time." Rocky said bluntly as Freddie looked at him, raising her eyebrows and tilting her head a little.

"My dad told you to keep an eye on me, didn't he?" Freddie guessed.

"No." Rocky scoffed.

"Did he pay you?" Freddie asked.

"No." Rocky said, "Can't you just take the help when it's offered." He said.

"Not if it's not sincere." Freddie said, "Next time just let me get beat up." She shook her head, grabbing her bag from the lunch table, pushing by them all and leaving the cafeteria.

* * *

"You told them to keep an eye on me?!" Freddie yelled, throwing her bag down as she walked into the kitchen where Punk was standing.

"No." Punk said.

"Yeah, you did. Otherwise they wouldn't have gave two shits. What do you think is gonna happen to me? I know how to defend myself."

"I just thought that maybe you'd get some slack coming back and I didn't want it to… set you back. You've been doing good, so I asked Rocky and his friends to just… keep an eye out, nothing too dramatic."

"You're so weird. You just called up a teenage boy and his pals and asked him to keep an eye on me?"

"It's not weird. I saw them at the owl. They asked me how you were, that they hadn't saw you in school, I told them what had happened and I just asked them to keep an eye out. I know you don't need protection, don't get offended, but I know how rotten teenagers, especially ones from the north can be." He said, "Plus, don't you wanna get to know them a little more?"

"What the hell happened to… you don't have to be a Raven and it's your choice?" Freddie asked.

"It is your choice but I just wanted you to be ok at school, Fred. Is that such a crime?" Punk asked her as she just shook her head.

"I don't need protection from your little minions." Freddie said as Punk made a face.

"My minions?" Punk asked.

"Yeah, your little people who do all your dirty work." Freddie said.

"Hold on, wait… wait a minute." Punk put his hand up, "Since when have I turned into a bad guy?" He asked, "I just told Rocky to keep an eye on you, Freddie, not kidnap you and make you sit with them in all classes." Punk said, "You were the one who said you wanted the tattoo, you wanted to be in with the group."

"That was before I knew my dad was a murderer." Freddie said as Punk folded his arms.

"Are you serious?" Punk looked at her sternly, "What the hell is wrong with you?" He asked her, "In case you haven't noticed, there's a lot of shit going on right now and the last thing I want is for something to happen to you, so yeah I asked a couple of kids to check in on you, I don't know why you're taking it to heart." Punk said as Freddie just folded her arms.

"Are you worried?" She asked him.

"What?" Punk shook his head.

"Are you worried about this? All of this that's going on." Freddie said, "Cause I am, I'm worried my dad is gonna get arrested and took to prison. You're all I have."

"I'm not going anywhere." Punk said. He got the impression she thought that he was worried and that's why he had told Rocky to keep an eye on Freddie. He wasn't. He really just wanted to make sure nothing bad happened at school, he knew it wasn't her favourite place in the world.

"But you could. You could go to prison." Freddie said, "And I… I might not see you again."

"Freddie, look at me." Punk said, "I'm not going anywhere. As long as your mom plays it cool, and me and Julio find a way to get those videos, no one is going anywhere." Punk nodded, "I'm gonna go see your mom tonight, Julio is gonna come, we're gonna figure something out."

"Can I come?" Freddie asked.

"What'd I say last week?" Punk told her, "I don't want you involved. You focus on school, your health, the less people involved, the better." Punk nodded.

"You'd say that anyway." Freddie said.

"No. I wouldn't. Trust me. It's all gonna be ok." He nodded as Freddie just sighed, "It'll be over soon."

"It better be." Freddie sighed.

* * *

 _It had been a few months after AJ had disappeared. Punk was still staying at his parents' house with Freddie, trying to work as many shifts as possible in order to somehow put in for a place of his own with Freddie. He never once gave up on her. It was hard considering he was dealing with the fact AJ had pretty much just walked off the face of the earth with absolutely no explanation._

 _Although he was doing his best, sometimes he got lost, confused and simply just tired. Sometimes he'd deliberately let Freddie cry until someone else picked her up if he was in bed, or he would happily let his mom take her for a full day just so he wouldn't have had to get mixed up with her feeding times, or he'd ask for help trying to bath her, but really just let his mom do everything whilst he sat watching. He didn't believe he was an awful father, but he was a kid, and he was alone._

 _Julio and Toni had noticed Punk's almost lack of effort towards caring for Freddie. He wasn't abandoning her or neglecting her by any means, but her certainly wasn't taking full control of her, and they had summoned Punk one night to have a conversation with him. They knew it was hard for him. No one really spoke about AJ. Her exit was a shock to all of them, especially when there was a baby involved, but Toni didn't want her son to feel any sort of pressure, and the last thing she wanted was for him to feel alone._

" _What's going on?" Punk asked, sitting down at the kitchen table as his parents stood over across from him. Freddie was in bed, he only knew that because his mom had told him when he got in the door. She'd taken care of her all day._

" _We… need to have a little chat." Toni nodded to him, "First of all, this is not us trying to… hurt your feelings or imply that... you aren't a good father, because you are, we know that." Toni said as Punk looked on with confusion, "But… I want you to know that if you're finding this hard, which I can only imagine just how hard it is… me and your father… we don't mind taking custody of Freddie-"_

" _Excuse me?" Punk laughed a little._

" _Now don't get mad." Julio warned, "We're saying this for your best interest and Freddie's. We're not getting on at you but… well you're not as involved with her as you were when April was here. You barely spend time with her, Phil." Julio admitted as Punk just shook his head._

" _So your solution is to just take her from me?" Punk asked._

" _No, that's not it, it just means we would be her legal guardians if anything were to happen." Toni said, "We know this is hard for you and the last thing I want is for you to be in a position you aren't comfortable in."_

" _I am fine." Punk warned, "You're not taking my kid from me. She's the only thing that's keeping me going, and you think taking her from me is gonna help? I just don't know what I'm doing yet. I don't know… how warm or cold her baths are supposed to be or… or what time her feeds are all at or… or where abouts you put that rash cream on… in case you both haven't noticed, this is my first time having a kid, and I'm also pretty alone in it." He said._

" _We're here." Julio said._

" _You know what I mean." Punk said, "And I'm trying to work as much as I can so I can actually move into my own place with her. So no, you guys taking her from me, that's not a good idea because then I'll have nothing else to go on for-"_

" _Phil don't say it like that." Toni sighed, "I just thought it would maybe ease your stress."_

" _I got a daughter. I'm always gonna be stressed, it's fine." Punk nodded, "You guys are doing all you can and I appreciate it, helping me when I'm at work, taking over when I don't know what I'm doing-"_

" _Getting up at 4am because you're ignoring her." Julio added, "If you wanna move into your own place, that's you doing this on your own."_

" _Yeah I know that dad." Punk looked up at him, "But you're not taking her from me, no way. I'll learn as I go. I'm… I'm eighteen years old. The first time I ever held a baby was holding Freddie. I don't know these things like April did… she just… she just picked it up-"_

" _She was a natural." Toni nodded to herself. When AJ was with them with the baby for the first few months, she really was a great mother, it came natural to her and for that reason, Punk felt more at ease, it seemed now that he had just gone five gigantic steps backwards._

" _Yeah and she's not here now." Punk said, standing up, "I'm gonna be fine. Your help is appreciated from time to time but I don't need you to take over and take her-"_

" _Phil that's not what we meant." Toni sighed._

" _I know it's not, and I appreciate the concern, but I'm gonna be fine and so is Freddie." Punk nodded, "I'm… I'm going to bed. I've been working all day." He told them, leaving the kitchen as Julio and Toni turned to one another and sighed._

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks for all the positive reviews! I appreciate the feedback and I'm glad you're enjoying! Lots to come. Will Freddie do as she is told? Punk Julio and AJ formulate a plan. Will it work? And lots more.**


	29. Ambushed

**Ambushed**

* * *

"Hey, handsome." Freddie smiled, sliding along the bar in the Owl as she watched Rocky turn to her and make a face, "Mind if I sit?" She asked as Rocky looked her up and down and shrugged.

"As long as you got something interesting to say… or do." He smirked.

"Please." Freddie shook her head, taking a seat on the bar stool beside him, "Do you… normally spend your Thursday nights in this place… alone?" She asked him, looking around and not spotting any of his friends around that she saw at school.

"What do you want, Brooks?" Rocky asked as Freddie looked at him.

"I… might need your help with something." Freddie said.

"Since when were me and you pals?" Rocky laughed to himself, taking a drink of the soda he was drinking.

"Well we aren't." Freddie answered for him, "But I know you like my dad and… this is more so helping him than it is me."

"Then why isn't he here?" Rocky asked, "Somehow I don't think he'd like to know you came here on your own. You realise that people are afraid to look at you the wrong way in case it gets back to your old man? I mean… you know what he had done to those guys from the north." He laughed to himself as Freddie tilted her head.

"What are you talking about?" Freddie asked.

"Had us go take a trip into the golden village and beat up those mongrels who tried it with you." Rocky said.

"They never did anything, I asked them for directions." Freddie said, "Wait he… he told you to go beat them up-"

"Julio did but… your dad asked him." Rocky said, "They're bad kids, and you're a good looking girl, something could have happened-"

"And if I wasn't a good looking girl? What the hell is that statement supposed to mean?" Freddie screwed her face up.

"Jeez, chill out." Rocky groaned, "I don't do raging feminists."

"And I don't do bored little boys." Freddie said.

"Then beat it." Rocky inched close to her face as Freddie looked at him, "You ain't even got the tattoo, you shouldn't be allowed in here."

"Shut up." Freddie said, "Just… will you help me or not?" Freddie asked.

"With what?" Rocky said.

"My dad could go to prison." Freddie said as Rocky sat his drink down, turning his full body around and looking at her, "He… there's someone out there with video footage of some shady thing that happened in the past with him and Julio. If it gets to the police, my dad and Julio go to prison which means this place no doubt will crumble to the ground." Freddie said, "I need your help. I'd do it alone but if I get caught I don't to be the only person my dad yells at." She shrugged.

"What makes you think I wanna get yelled at by him?" Rocky asked.

"No one has to yell if we don't get caught." Freddie nodded.

"What do you need me to do exactly?" Rocky asked as Freddie smiled.

* * *

"I feel like an idiot." Rocky folded his arms.

"You look like an idiot." Freddie agreed, standing by a card in the north side. She knew Rocky would stick out like a sore thumb and so picked up some respectable clothes on the way there, making sure he was wearing long sleeves to cover his tattoo.

"Someone is gonna recognise me." Rocky told her.

"No they won't." Freddie shook her head.

"I hate the smell of this side." Rocky dry heaved as Freddie raised a brow.

"What smell?" Freddie asked.

"The smell of scum." Rocky nodded to her as she shook her head, "What am I supposed to do exactly?" He asked her.

"Be a distraction." Freddie nodded as Rocky groaned.

"How'd you even know this is where he works?" Rocky asked. Freddie had filled him on everything, on the fact her mother's father was the devil incarnate and could potentially have the power to put her father and Julio in prison.

"I done my research." Freddie said, "Well Jenny and Lucy did it for me."

"Speaking of, think you could put in a good word for one of my buddies to Lucy?" Rocky asked.

"Lucy likes girls." Freddie said, not paying attention to him as she kept her eyes on the office building where she knew her grandfather worked.

"She does?" Rocky raised his eyebrows.

"Yeah, so I won't be putting in any words for anyone." Freddie said, "That's him, I think." She said, tugging on his sleeve and pushing him further in against the wall, "You know what you've to do?" She asked.

"Fall flat on my face in front of him? Yeah." Rocky scoffed, walking off down the street as Freddie watched, putting her hood up as she watched Rocky deliberately trip up right in front of Rick, causing her to laugh a little.

She watched as Rick crouched down to see if Rocky was ok, and she began to make her move, creeping down the pavement, her hand faintly going into Rick's pocket on the way by, silently taking out the keys and walking around the corner to hide, looking back around as she watched Rocky get back to his feet.

She was glad to see that the keys didn't include his car keys. She watched as Rocky walked on down the pavement and around the corner to join her.

"How'd he not notice that?" Rocky said.

"I used to steal my dad's keys for the parlour when I was like five. He'd never notice until he got there. I had like… separation anxiety." Freddie shook her head, turning her head back around the corner as she watched Rick drive off, "Ok, we need to be quick. He's gonna notice his keys are gone and we need to toss them outside the office so it looks like he dropped them when he helped you."

"Helped me." Rocky scoffed, "Barely showed much concern." He said, following her around and back to the office door, watching her as she unlocked it and they walked on in. It was just a small office where she assumed he done his business work. It wasn't like a huge building for a company, which made it more convenient for them, "So what are we looking for?" Rocky asked her.

"Anything that could possibly have a video on it… laptop, phone, a recorder… anything." Freddie shrugged, starting to look under pieces of papers, in drawers and under folders.

"You really wanna find something, huh?" Rocky said.

"This man took my mom from me and also has the power to put my dad in prison. I wanna spit on him." Freddie said as Rocky just nodded.

"I would too." Rocky agreed, helping her out and looking around the office.

They looked around for a good ten minutes but there was no sign of any sort of digital equipment that could hold any videos lying around.

"He must take his laptop home with him." Freddie shook her head.

"Ok, we need to get out of here." Rocky nodded to her as she nodded back and headed off to the door, walking out and locking it back up, tossing the keys over to where she remembered Rick's car was parked.

"I really thought we'd find something in there." Freddie sighed to herself as Rocky turned to her.

"Well you tried." Rocky said, "You said your dad was meeting with your mom and Julio tonight?"

"Yeah." Freddie nodded.

"Well they'll figure something out. They always do." Rocky shrugged as Freddie just nodded, looking up as she paused, looking over at the group of guys walking towards them.

"Rocky." Freddie tugged him as Rocky looked up, gulping as he looked on at the guys he had been sent to beat up with his friends.

"Ok, you need to get out of here." Rocky nodded to her.

"What? No… I'm not just going to leave you. Let's just go this way." Freddie said.

"No, you… you need to run." Rocky said.

"Well look who it is. Our old pal." One of the boys smiled as they approached Freddie and Rocky, "Don't feel so tough now, do you?" He chuckled, "Where are all your buddies?"

"We're not after any trouble." Freddie said as the boy turned to her.

"Well look who it is." He smiled, "Is this your girlfriend?" He turned back to Rocky, "I feel like we had… way too much unfinished business, darling." He smiled as Freddie looked on with disgust. She watched his hand go out to her face as Rocky instantly grabbed it and twisted it back.

"Don't." Rocky warned, turning to Freddie, "Go. Now." He told her angrily as Freddie gulped, "Go!" He yelled at her as Freddie ran around them and down the street, trying not to look back.

* * *

"Long time no see, April." Julio said, standing in AJ's apartment with Punk and AJ as AJ just nodded slowly, "I hope you know that… no one thinks poorly of you, well not anymore." He said, "I see this as kidnap, imprisonment, and you are a member of this family which means… I'm angry." Julio smiled to her as AJ just nodded and smiled. She had missed him, she had missed Toni, she had missed her family and forgot how safe they made her feel.

"I just want to find a way to do this without my dad catching onto anything. If he gets any sort of hint that I'm trying to get the video from him, he'll just take it to the police." AJ nodded.

"Ok, do you think it's just your dad who has the video?" Julio asked.

"I… I'm not sure. I think so. I mean any normal person who saw it would take it to the police so… he has to be the only one." AJ nodded.

"Where do you think he'd keep it?" Punk asked her, leaning against the wall, "A specific place?"

"Well when he first came to me with it, it was on his phone. I'm pretty sure he probably has a copy on his phone and a copy on his work computer but… he takes those things around with him everywhere." AJ said.

"I say, fuck being kind, we just go in for the attack, tie him up and beat the videos out of him, ask him face-to-face." Julio said.

"He could bluff, we set him free and then he takes it to the cops." Punk said, "No."

"Who said I would set him free?" Julio asked, placing his hands behind his back, walking around in circles as he thought to himself whilst Punk looked over to AJ, "I don't think AJ creeping around looking for it is a good idea. I say we just jump in head first."

"I don't know." Punk shook his head.

"I'll be damned if another man, from this side of town, has a hold on me like this." Julio shook his head, "How have you just… stayed quiet all this time?" He asked AJ.

"Because that's what he wanted, or else both of you would have gotten a knock at the door one night from the cops." AJ said, "I've did what I've had to do. I'm pissed too."

"You don't look it." Julio said.

"Because I'm tired." AJ told him, "He's took away my life. I don't know… how to live. I've missed my daughter's life. All of it. She hates me."

"She doesn't." Punk shook his head.

"She's never going to know me, not really. So if you think that I left, and that it was easy, and that I've just carried on living my life normally all this time then you've underestimated me as a person." AJ said, "Not a day went by where I didn't think about Freddie, or Phil. Every birthday that went by, every Christmas that I never got to see them." AJ said, "My dad took that from me and he didn't give me the choice." She said, "I stayed away so you two wouldn't go to prison. You're welcome, Julio!" AJ yelled as Julio folded his arms and nodded.

"You're right, I'm sorry. Calm down." Julio said as AJ shook her head and folded her arms, "What do you want to do?" He asked her, "I mean… he's your dad, I couldn't care less what happens to the fucker, but what do you want?"

"I just… want to come home." AJ shook her head as Punk looked over at her. It made him smile to know she regarded the south as her home still, but made him even madder that she had been trapped this way for so long. He just wished he could have gotten to her quicker.

"You will." Julio nodded to her.

"I… I don't care what happens to him." AJ shook her head, "He is not my dad. Not now. Not after he did this." She said.

"Well then I think we have our answer then." Julio turned to Punk, "Want the message deleted? Kill the messenger." He said as Punk looked across at him, turning to AJ who just stood without much to say.

He could see what all of this had done to her. She looked like she didn't believe in hope anymore. He didn't blame her after being deprived of the life she desperately wanted and never wanted to leave, but he could see she truly didn't care what happened to her father.

"Is that really smart?" Punk asked his father.

"Smarter than taking a chance that we find all of those videos." Julio said.

"We're no murderers." Punk said.

"How'd we get here in the first place, boy?" Julio said.

"An accident. That's how." Punk said, "We're not killers." He said as Julio scoffed and turned around, "You know we're not."

"Then what do you suggest we do, Phil?" Julio asked.

"We get him, we take him to the owl, scare him, and we don't let him go until we know and we've saw with our eyes that every single copy of that video has been deleted. If he doesn't cooperate then…"

"Then kill him." AJ said as Punk turned to her.

"Challenge accepted." Julio nodded.

"Are you gonna be ok here?" Punk asked AJ as she looked over to him and nodded.

"I'll be fine." AJ nodded to him as he stared over at her. It was surreal how much they still wanted each other after all of this time, after so much time lost, but the idea that AJ hadn't left out of choice really made a difference, of course it did.

"Tomorrow night then." Julio nodded, listening as his phone began to vibrate in his pocket, pulling it out, "It's Toni." He said, answering the phone, "Hey… woah, slow down." He said quickly as Punk walked over to AJ, both of them looking over to Julio, "What are you talking about?" Julio shook his head, "Alright, ok… just stay there, keep her there… yeah we'll go check it out. Ok." Julio nodded, hanging up.

"What is it?" Punk said.

"She said Freddie just came running into the house, hysterical. Her and Rocky got ambushed by those boys. She ran off but Rocky stayed. We need to… go see if he's ok." Julio shook his head.

"Why the hell were they over here?" Punk gritted his teeth.

"I don't know." Julio said.

"Wait, is Freddie ok?" AJ asked.

"She's fine. She's with Toni. I… I don't know about Rocky." Julio said, "C'mon, we'll need to go check it out." He said, heading over to the door as AJ looked up at Punk, placing her hand in his and squeezing it as he looked down at her and nodded, walking on ahead with Julio, letting go of her hand until the last minute as he left the apartment.


	30. Safe Place

**Safe Place**

* * *

"Ok, you good?" Punk asked, helping Rocky into the owl, sitting him up on a stool as he leaned back against the bar. His face was a bloody mess but he was breathing and they were all glad of that.

"Yeah, I'm fine, man." Rocky nodded, trying to stand up, wobbling as Punk pushed him back onto the stool.

"Just stay there." Punk said, "Hey, Lou, get the kid a drink, huh?" Punk called over to the bar man who raised his hand and nodded, "We're gonna get you cleaned up, kid. Ok?" Punk said, patting Rocky on the shoulder as he nodded, reunited with his friends as Punk walked over to Julio who was standing by the door.

"No wonder they all like you. You're way too nice." Julio said, "I'll beat his ass once he comes around." He nodded, "Shouldn't be going into the north on his own, let alone with Freddie. Anything could have happened."

As soon as Punk and Julio found Rocky, the other boys from the north ran off. It looked like they had reached him in time, thankfully.

"I told her to stay out of this." Punk shook his head.

"Well it's her mom. Kid is probably angry just like we all are." Julio said, "Any idea as to why it was just the two of them?" He raised a brow.

"Well I asked Rocky to keep an eye on Fred. But only in school. I… I have no idea what they were doing."

"You don't suppose-"

"Shut up." Punk said, "I got enough going on right now don't put that shit on me." Punk warned him as Julio just put his hands up and laughed a little, "You… stay here with him, make sure he's ok, I'm gonna go back to the house and see Freddie." Punk nodded.

"Ok." Julio said, "We still do this tomorrow night, right?" He said whilst Punk was walking out.

"Sooner the better." Punk called to her as he walked out of the owl and headed off to go to Toni and Julio's house, to question his daughter on her poor choice she had made tonight, trying to calm himself down before he reached the house.

He headed all the way to the house, walking on in through to the living room where Freddie was sitting with Toni.

"Did you find him?" Freddie stood up, "Was he hurt?"

"He's ok." Punk assured, "He's at the owl, might need a few stitches but he'll live." Punk said as Freddie sighed, "Do I even wanna ask?" He put his hands on his hips, "What… What were you two doing over that side?"

"N-Nothing." Freddie shook her head.

"C'mon, kid." Punk said.

"I… we just checked out mom's dad's office." Freddie shook her head as Punk's eyes almost beat out of his head, the vein on his forehead starting to become more and more visible as Freddie gulped.

"Tell me you're kidding." Punk chuckled to himself, running his hand over his face.

"I'm not kidding." Freddie said bluntly.

"Do you… do you want me to go to prison? Is that it?" Punk asked.

"I'm trying to help." Freddie said.

"I don't want your help. The last thing I need right now is to be worrying about you and what the hell you're up to." Punk said.

"We were only in his office for a few minutes and he… he'll never know-"

"You were in his office?" Punk shook his head, "H-How?"

"Rocky distracted him and I took his keys. The way I did with you when I didn't want you to leave for work." Freddie said as Punk just shook his head.

"You're gonna be the cause of my death, you know that?" Punk said, "Seriously. My headstone is gonna say death by daughter." He nodded.

"Well if you must know, we didn't find anything. There was nothing even in his office that could have a video on it. No phone, laptop, tape… nothing." Freddie said, "And he'll never know we were there, we just dumped the keys where his car was so he'll think he's lost them."

"What if he came back? What if he saw you? Huh? You ever think before you take action? Because sometimes it can be the decision between life and death. And now look what happened to Rocky." Punk said.

"Are you saying that's my fault?" Freddie asked.

"I'm saying if you stayed put like I asked you, like you promised me you would, he would be fine." Punk nodded, "Why drag him along anyway? Something I should know about?" He had to ask as Toni sat on the couch and rolled her eyes.

"What? You think he's my boyfriend?" Freddie laughed, "I would rather die alone than be with someone in that group, trust me."

"Well good, that's one honest and good answer I've heard from you." Punk nodded as Freddie just glared at him.

"Did you see mom?" Freddie asked.

"Yeah, I did." Punk said, "And from now on, you are in the dark, you don't get to know what is going on and you stay the hell away from all of this."

"What?" Freddie shook her head, "I deserve to know."

"No, you don't. Because the second I tell you and then the second I tell you not to do anything, you go do it." Punk said, "So no, I'm not telling you anymore. You just sit and wait for it to all blow over, ok?"

"Stop treating me like a kid." Freddie whined, "I'm eighteen years old. I can do whatever the hell I want… you had a kid when you were my age, I mean, c'mon." Freddie said.

"Yeah and I still had more common sense than you do." Punk said, "You do not just stroll into the north, especially with a recognisable face like Rocky's." He said.

"Your father is right." Toni said, "It's the type of place where… you could be down on the ground and instead of getting help, they'll only kick you down further. We've all been there." Toni nodded, "You can't… you can't keep going, especially when you're breaking into offices."

"Yeah, seriously… what the hell?" Punk said, "I used to think you just had a chip on your shoulder but now… now I think you're just stupid." He said as Freddie made a face.

"Not as stupid as you who couldn't even tell that something wasn't right with mom for eighteen full years." Freddie said, "Oh and let's not forget the part where you buried your own father's body. You think I'm stupid?" She asked.

"Can you two just stop." Toni stood up, "There's no point in bickering, ok? Everyone is safe and Rick has no clue and will have no clue about Freddie and Rocky being in his office." She said, specifically looking at Punk, "But your father is right, Freddie, I don't think you should be in the know anymore. You should be focusing on school, normal things, going out with your friends, focusing on your health-"

"The next person to tell me I should be focusing on my health… I'm just gonna punch them." Freddie told them truthfully, "And yes, that means both of you too." She said.

"Well you should be." Punk said, "You don't need this. Let us take care of it. You are just a kid."

"I'm not a kid." Freddie said.

"You are. You are a kid, Freddie and you're not getting on this. It's not some sort of adventure. This is real shit. Real life."

"I know that." Freddie said.

"So stay out of it." Punk said, "I mean it." He said as Freddie just shook her head, pushing by him, "Freddie." Punk said, watching as she left the living room and walked out of the house, "I'm gonna lose it." Punk turned to Toni.

"Ok, just calm down." Toni told him, "Take into consideration what's going on with her right now. What's happening. She's not long out of hospital, she learns her mom was driven away not by choice, she meets her mom for the first time, she finds out about this story about your biological dad and how you could end up in prison… give the kid a break, Phil." Toni said.

"She's gonna get caught or hurt or something." Punk shook his head, "She's just left the house and I don't know where she's even going." He sighed.

"She'll go to a friends, or the owl, she would never wander off, she does have common sense. In fact, she's very bright in that way. And all she wants to do is help." Toni said, "I know it's stressing you out, but think about how she is feeling right now." She said as Punk sighed, running his hand through his hair.

* * *

Freddie left the house, making sure she never once shed a tear even though she felt like screaming and crying in a dark corner. She headed to the owl, wanting to check up on Rocky, walking on in through the door, spotting him over in a booth with a bottle of water and his buddy's around him.

She walked up the two step tier where the rows of booths were and walked over to him, "Hey are you ok?" She asked worriedly, looking at his face which was badly beaten to say the least.

"What do you think?" Rocky mumbled as Freddie sighed. She did feel like it was her fault, more so because her father had practically told her it was. She expected his friends to clear off but they stayed around, "Why are you here?" Rocky asked her.

"Well… to see if you were ok." Freddie said, "I… I didn't want to leave but-"

"Freddie, why are you even here?" Rocky looked up at her, sitting his ice pack down as she looked at him, "Seriously, you're not… with us and I… I don't owe you anything, I didn't owe you tonight."

"Then why come?" Freddie laughed as he just looked up at her.

"Can you just go away?" Rocky asked, "Please." He shook his head, turning away from her as Freddie looked at him.

"I'm sorry." Freddie shook her head, backing up slowly and quickly leaving the owl as Rocky shook his head, nursing his sore face.

"Here I was thinking you were gonna get a piece of that." One of his buddy's laughed as Rocky just shook his head and slid out from the booth, not impressed.

"You lot are giving me a headache." He said, walking away from them to go sit on his own.

* * *

After leaving the owl, Freddie felt lost. She didn't know where she could go or where would want her. Her dad was mad, so going home didn't feel an option, the owl was out of the question, Jenny and Lucy were probably asleep in their normal and happy homes. She didn't feel like she had anywhere to turn to, until she found herself walking back into the north. She figured maybe this was the only place someone wouldn't shout at her.

She climbed the apartment stairs and knocked on the door, waiting on an answer, hoping for an answer as she eventually saw her mom open the door and look on at her with confusion.

"Freddie." AJ shook her head.

"I uh… can I come in?" Freddie asked sadly, "I don't… I don't know where else to go." She admitted truthfully.

"Come in." AJ said immediately, widening the door as she walked in, closing it behind her and making sure to lock it, "Are you ok? Are you hurt?" AJ asked.

"No, I'm fine." Freddie shook her head.

"You're shaking." AJ noticed, "Are you sure you're ok?" She asked her, "Are you cold?" She asked.

"I think I just need a seat." Freddie told her, walking over to the couch and sitting down as AJ watched her, although she knew she would do anything for her daughter and be there for her, she just felt incapable of being her mother because of how much time had gone by. She felt like she could never get that relationship with her. She'd work hard it for sure but… it made her upset to think about how much she really had missed, but the fact she was coming to her gave her hope that they could maybe one day work at a relationship together.

"Does your dad know you're here?" AJ asked her, sitting down on the couch across as she shook her head.

"I hate him." Freddie told her as AJ raised her eyebrows and nodded slowly.

"What'd he do?" AJ asked her as Freddie looked up. There was something about her that made her feel safe, the same way her dad always did. She didn't know if it was just because her mind knew that she was her mother and took comfort in that, or if it was just something about her.

"He just doesn't want me involved in any of this stuff that's going on." Freddie said briefly.

"I… don't blame him." AJ said.

"You aren't supposed to side with him." Freddie shook her head as AJ smiled a little.

"He just cares. He's super protective and I get sometimes that might feel pretty overwhelming, like you're suffocating but… I mean, could be worse, you could have my dad as a dad." She shrugged as Freddie nodded.

"Yeah that would be worse." Freddie nodded.

"He just wants you to be ok. It's his job. And I think me not being there, he's had to look out for you even more so… any sign that you could be in danger, he eliminates right away." Freddie said, "He's been that way since you were born." AJ nodded to her, "He hardly let anyone touch you in the hospital. And he had to know all the doctors names who were going near you." AJ remembered. It was the only sort of early memories, the only memories she had.

"He just treats me like a baby." Freddie said.

"You'll be thirty and he'll still talk to you the same way." AJ nodded, "He just worries. It's his job."

"You aren't how I expected." Freddie shook her head as AJ smiled a little.

"What'd you expect?" AJ smiled.

"A stone cold bitch." Freddie said.

"Well, catch me in a good moment maybe." AJ said, "How are you feeling?" She asked, "The first few months are normally the hardest, I felt anyway."

"Yeah, and all of this isn't helping." Freddie said, "It just feels like I'm… I'm-"

"Going around in circles?" AJ finished for her as Freddie looked across, "I know how it feels." She nodded. It was something that connected them, even when they'd only saw each other a few times, they had a connection through their illness, "You been going to therapy?" She asked her.

"Yeah but I don't really like it. I do the meds and I have a journal that I write in. I find just doing things that I like help me. Listening to music, painting and drawing, seeing my friends-"

"It's good you have those things." AJ nodded. She wanted someone to be on her shoulder to tell her if she was doing ok, if she was saying the right things as a mom, because she really had no clue.

"You must have been really lonely out here all this time." Freddie said as AJ nodded.

"I've not had fun, that's for sure." AJ nodded, "I guess I've tried to build some sort of life for myself, a pretty lonely one, yeah." She said, "But I hope you know I… I never would have left if-"

"Yeah I know." Freddie said, "You don't have to explain. I get it." She said, "I'm not mad at you, I mean I was mad… but not now. You didn't have a choice. I mean it's a shame you were put in the situation where you didn't have a choice." Freddie nodded, "I just feel like… you get how I'm feeling and I barely even know you. I don't know you."

"Odds are I get how you're feeling yeah." AJ smiled softly, "So you're not alone. That's an important thing to remember." She said as Freddie nodded, "Are you hungry? I can make you something? Or do you want a drink?" AJ stood up.

"You got those little bags of mini scones with the icing?" Freddie wondered.

"Yeah, those are my favourite." AJ smiled as Freddie looked up at her.

"Mine too." Freddie nodded.

"I'll bring you some in, I can… make you a hot drink if you want, if you're still cold?" AJ asked, still wondering if she was doing this mom thing ok so far.

"I like hot chocolate." Freddie nodded.

"O-ok." AJ smiled, "Just… put the TV on, sit up… I'm gonna text your dad and just let him know you're here, he'll be worried."

"Can you make sure he knows not to come by for me. I… I don't want to talk to him right now." Freddie told her, kicking her converse off and sitting up on the couch as AJ smiled to herself.

"Ok." AJ smiled softly, walking by and out of the living room to head to the kitchen. Never in her life did she think this, a moment like this, would ever happen for her. Her adrenaline was all over the place. The fact her daughter was making herself comfortable at her place, and that she really didn't hate her, and that she felt safe with her, it gave her so much hope that she never had before. She felt herself becoming more like herself again.

She called Punk instead of texting him. He was mad on the phone at first and told her he was coming to get her but after AJ explained she was safe, it was almost like he was relieved that they were together. She assured him that her father never came to her apartment, not often anyway, so he thanked her and told her he'd be in touch, and she assured him Freddie was safe and well. She knew he trusted her and that Freddie being with her wasn't something he had to worry about, even if they were on the north.

AJ then started making the hot chocolate and grabbed the scones from the cupboard, walking back into the living room and pausing when she saw Freddie fast asleep on the couch. She'd had a traumatic night for sure and had really just passed out as soon as she laid up on the couch.

AJ smiled to herself, putting the hot chocolate and scones down, taking out a blanket and throwing it over Freddie, crouching down and brushing her hair out of her face. She placed a kiss on her head with teary eyes and stood back up. The love she felt when she first held her as a baby felt no different to the love she still felt now, even with so much time and years lost.


	31. Not Safe

**Not Safe**

* * *

Freddie woke up the next morning, a little confused as to where she even was, but realised soon enough that she had ended up at her mother's apartment after what was a very busy night. She sat up on the couch and looked around the empty apartment, watching as her mother walked out of one of the bedrooms in a tight black dress.

"Hey." AJ smiled over to her, "You ok?" She asked.

"Yeah I'm ok." Freddie nodded, rubbing her eyes and looking around, "Are you going to work?" She assumed.

"Yeah. I can make you some breakfast first if you like?" AJ said, "You can… stay here I… I just think maybe your dad might want to see you." She nodded.

"I didn't mean to fall asleep so quickly last night." Freddie admitted. She enjoyed being in her mother's company and was almost mad at herself that she fell asleep so quickly, but she was exhausted.

"That's ok. You were tired." AJ nodded, "I fell asleep not long after." She said, "Seriously though I can make you breakfast. I'm making stuff for myself anyway."

"Ok." Freddie smiled, getting up from the couch and following her into the kitchen, taking a seat at the table whilst AJ pulled things out from the fridge, which caused Freddie to look over at the picture that was stuck to it of when she was just hours born, "I'm surprised your dad lets you have that picture up." Freddie said as AJ handed her over the orange juice and a glass.

"He… doesn't have nice things to say about it every time he sees it." AJ nodded.

"Why did he hate my dad so much?" Freddie asked.

"Not just your dad, the whole family." AJ said, "He just thought it was a typical gang family, crime and drugs, but it's not, you know that and I know that. It's just a family with stricter morals and beliefs. And there's all that strange stuff with the north and south which I honestly just don't get." AJ shrugged.

"Yeah, me neither." Freddie shook her head, pouring herself a drink, "Would you have stayed? If your dad hadn't did all this to you, would you have stayed with us?"

"Yeah." AJ nodded, "We were going to get a place together. I was going to go to college, your dad was already training in the tattoo parlour." AJ said, "We had plans, you know?" She said as Freddie nodded, "And you were included in them." She said, "My dad made sure that… those got cancelled." AJ nodded to herself.

"He seems like a lunatic." Freddie shook her head.

"Yeah tell me about it." AJ shook her head, turning around to face her, "It should all be over soon." She nodded.

"And then what?" Freddie asked, "What do you want to happen after that?" Are you gonna… come back to the south?" She asked.

"I'd like to." AJ nodded, "I know just jumping into your life isn't gonna work, for me or you, or your dad." She said, "But… as soon as I know it's safe, I'd… well I'd like to be in your life in some way."

"You wanna be in my dad's life too?" Freddie raised a brow as AJ just laughed a little.

"What are you trying to get me to say?" AJ smiled.

"Nothing." Freddie said innocently.

"I don't wanna say anything yet until… until I know that those videos are gone." AJ said, "Then I can figure out… we can figure out what's best going forward." She said as Freddie nodded, "So… are you gonna tell me who this Rocky boy is?" She asked as Freddie poured herself some cereal and laughed a little.

"There's nothing to tell." Freddie shrugged, "He goes to my school, he's in with the Ravens, and I pretty much could have gotten him killed last night." She shrugged.

"That simple, huh?" AJ smiled.

"You're worse than my dad." Freddie shook her head, taking the milk and pouring it into her cereal as AJ borrowed it after her and smiled.

Not long after there was a knock at the door, and AJ paused a little at the unlikely possibility of it being her father, which wasn't ideal at all, but then she heard, "It's Phil." Called out which made her relax her shoulders, sitting her glass down and wandering out of the kitchen to go answer the door.

"Hey." AJ smiled, opening the door and letting him in.

"Hey." Punk nodded, "Everything ok?" He asked, stepping into the apartment.

"Yeah, she's just having breakfast." AJ nodded as he smiled, looking her up and down without realising. She really hadn't aged one bit, she didn't look like an innocent teenager anymore but she was still gorgeous, and he assumed she was headed to work, "You're not her favourite person at the moment." She told him.

"I'm rarely her favourite person." Punk said truthfully as she just nodded and smiled, "Off to work?" He asked her, following her into the kitchen. They'd rarely had time to just chat normally, so much was going on, and he missed the way they used to be, the way they could always talk to each other.

"Yeah." AJ nodded, "You?" AJ asked as Punk nodded.

"Once I take Freddie home. I'm sorry if… if you're not ok with her coming here-"

"I'm ok with it." AJ assured him, "I'm just concerned about her being on this side of town, that's all."

"Yeah, me too. Hopefully tonight it'll be all over." Punk took a deep breath as AJ nodded, walking back into the kitchen where he saw Freddie sitting at the kitchen table eating cereal, "Comfortable?" Punk asked her.

"Quite." Freddie answered, "You done yelling?" She asked him as AJ crept into the kitchen behind him.

"You done acting like a four year old?" Punk replied smugly as Freddie just grumbled to herself, "Let's just stop letting this get to us, ok? It's all gonna be over soon." He told her.

"Are you gonna keep me in the dark like you said?" Freddie asked, eating her cereal.

"Are you gonna behave and stay put if I do?" Punk asked.

"Yes." Freddie said.

"It's gonna go down tonight." Punk told her, "Me and Julio, we're gonna have words with Rick and we'll get the videos." He said, not sparing too much detail, "We're gonna take him to the owl."

"Will you be there?" Freddie turned to AJ as Punk turned to her as well.

"No." AJ shook her head, turning back around to face the sink as Punk turned back to Freddie.

"You're gonna go to Jenny's or Lucy's." Punk nodded.

"Why can't I come here?" Freddie asked as AJ raised her eyebrows and smiled to herself a little.

"Well… I don't know if your mom is…"

"You can come here." AJ turned back around right away, "I… I finish work at 5. We could… order a pizza." She shrugged, having company was so foreign to her, but having company from her own daughter was like a dream come true.

"Are you sure?" Punk said, "You don't have to be ok with this." Punk nodded. He didn't want her to feel overwhelmed by it all, she had been out of their lives for eighteen years, but it looked like she was jumping at any opportunity to see Freddie, and he liked that, it made him feel or the more stupid for thinking she ever left out of choice.

"It's fine." AJ nodded, turning to Freddie, "Just come by whenever." She said as Punk just nodded, turning to Freddie who looked pleased.

"If it keeps you away." Punk nodded to Freddie who just made a face at him, "I'm all for it."

"I do have to leave for work like… right now, though." AJ nodded.

"Yeah, we're going anyway." Punk said, "C'mon." He nodded to Freddie who finished her cereal, rushing into the living room to put her converse on as Punk looked over to AJ, "You ok?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." AJ nodded, "She actually… wants to spend time with me." She shook her head, not really expecting it.

"Yeah, she does." Punk noticed, "I get it, must be really overwhelming for you, if… if it's too much just say." He nodded.

"It's not. I've waited eighteen years for this. It's not too much." AJ nodded as he just smiled.

"Ok." Punk gave her a small smile, turning around as she took his hand.

"Phil." She said softly as he turned back to face her, "Be careful tonight." She nodded.

"Yeah, I will." He said quietly as Freddie came back into the kitchen where AJ let go of his hand and smiled to her.

"I'll see you later then." AJ nodded to her.

"Yeah I'll see you later." Freddie nodded as she and Punk left the apartment.

* * *

Later that night, Punk felt a lot better that Freddie was with AJ. He knew she'd be safe there, probably more safe than she would be anywhere else and that helped him out a lot. It also made him feel good that they were getting on so well so quickly, he never doubted they wouldn't as Freddie really was just a similar version of AJ, but he was glad there didn't seem to be too much tension, not right now anyway.

They all gathered in the owl. Rick's capture had been planned out and he had been brought in by some other crew members late on. No violence had been involved in the capture, just a simple shot to knock him out and get him to the owl without a fight.

Punk knew it would be a long night. They hadn't quite had a night like this in a long time, nothing as dramatic had ever went down, but this wasn't just some squabble between someone who had pissed them off. This was incredibly personal. For him above anyone else.

"He's waking up." Julio tapped Punk who turned around from at the bar and looked over at Rick who had been sat on a chair tied up. The owl was practically empty apart from a few trusted faces.

Punk watched as Rick began to look around with hazy eyes, trying to figure out where he was, "Surprise." Punk said, folding his arms as he walked closer to Rick who looked up at him, beginning to find his senses, trying to get out of the chair but finding himself tied up, "Oh, no… you're not going anywhere." Punk crouched down in front of him.

"You bastard." Rick spat, "What the hell is this?" He spat as Punk glared at him.

"This is what happens when you fuck with my family." Punk said, "And the fact you've gotten away with this, for this long, makes me even madder." He said, "You're just as good as a kidnapper."

"Please." Rick laughed to himself, "Who did I kidnap then?" He asked.

"April." Punk said, "Your daughter. You know her?" Punk said, "Had a baby with me, who you took her away from, and used me against her." He said, "All because you couldn't stand the fact I gave her what you couldn't."

"You tainted her. Drugged her." Rick spat, "You were never good enough for her, you still aren't."

"I loved her… which is more than I can say for you." Punk said, "Why do it? Why take her away and make her miserable? Why not just let her stay?"

"Because she needed away from this place." Rick spat, "You're a murderer. Both of you." He said, looking over at Julio.

"So you'll know not to piss us off then." Julio stood behind Punk, "Where is the video? We want to know every single copy you have and where to find them, then we'll let you go once they're deleted in front of us." He said.

"I didn't make copies." Rick scoffed, "The video is on my laptop."

"Where do we find the laptop?" Punk asked him.

"It's in my car. I put it there before you grabbed me and took me here." Rick said, "Outside my office that your daughter broke into last night." He smirked as Punk looked up at him, grabbing him around the neck so fiercely that Rick almost choked to death.

"You don't talk about her." Punk warned, "This isn't anything to do with her."

"You should be more careful." Rick choked as Julio walked forward, pulling Punk back so Rick could be speak.

"What do you mean?" Julio asked him.

"I know you've been seeing April." Rick smiled, "And I know they're both together right now." He nodded as Punk looked down at him, "It would be a shame if… something were to happen to them."

"You're bluffing." Punk shook his head, refusing to believe it, "You would never hurt April. Why go through all this trouble to keep her on the north, to keep her away from me, just to hurt her one day?"

"I wouldn't hurt April, not really. Your daughter… well I couldn't care less what happens to her. She's not my family. She's not anything." Rick smiled as Punk hit him across the face hard, watching the blood splat onto the floor.

"I will kill you, right now." Punk said, grabbing him by the hair and pushing his head back, watching the blood run out of his nose which he had probably broke, "Tell me you're bluffing."

"I got friends too, Phil." Rick whispered as Punk gulped, turning to Julio who inhaled deeply and rubbed his forehead.

Punk shook his head, backing away and running out of the owl.

"Phil!" Julio called him back but he had left the owl like a lightning bolt, "Alright, you motherfucker." Julio grabbed Rick, "If that little girl has one mark on her, or one strand of hair misplaced out of her head, I will beat you slowly to death." Julio said, "Now someone is going to go to your car and get that laptop, and we're gonna delete that video, and then someone is gonna search your house for any sign of it too, and your office, and I am not letting you go until we have every single video deleted… and I'm not letting you go at all if you have hurt my granddaughter." Julio warned, "You're a horrible excuse for a father."

"I'm not a murderer." Rick said, spitting out the blood from his mouth onto the ground.

"Alright, go." Julio ordered his guys over by the bar to go out and search for the video.

* * *

Meanwhile Punk had ran all the way into the north, breaking down the building door and running up the stairs, pausing as he saw the apartment door was already opened, walking on in as he looked around.

"Freddie!" Punk yelled desperately, "April!" He yelled, looking in the kitchen, not finding anything or anyone, starting to lose his breath until he heard noise come from one of the bedrooms.

He burst in and saw AJ sitting on the floor with her hands tied to the radiator and tape around her mouth, blood running from a cut on her forehead, "April." Punk sighed with relief, crouching down and taking the tape from her mouth.

"W-Where is she?" AJ asked him.

"She's not here." Punk gasped, untying her wrists and helping her up, wiping the blood from her head and rubbing it against his jeans, "Who… Who came?"

"It was just these guys." AJ cried, "And they… I told her to go hide in the bathroom but they grabbed her and I… I couldn't-"

"It's ok, calm down." Punk nodded, bringing her into him as she cried into him with worry, "How many?" Punk asked her.

"Four." She said as Punk shut his eyes and took a deep breath, it was every parent's worst nightmare, and he knew how the gang world worked.

"We'll find her, it's gonna be ok." Punk nodded, "C'mon, we need to get out of here." He told her as she nodded, drying her eyes and following him out of the room, "Wait, my phone is ringing." He said, pausing and pulling his phone out, "It's Julio." He said. He was trying to remain calm for the sake of AJ, but he'd never been this afraid in all his life, "What?" Punk answered the phone.

"Ok, we've got the videos, smashed up his laptop, his phone and a tape he kept as a copy." Julio said, "You get April and Freddie?"

"I got April, four guys took Freddie so start beating that motherfucker up and get information out of him." Punk said angrily as Julio grumbled on the phone, "I don't know what to do, dad." Punk admitted, turning to AJ as he placed his hand on his forehead, "I don't know what to do."


	32. Bad To Worse

**Bad To Worse**

* * *

"You're on a slippery slope right now." Julio said, crouched down in front of Rick who was still tied to the chair in the owl, his face a bloody mess. Julio had successfully cleared out almost all systems which possibly could have had the video of him and Punk on it, he'd also made sure that some of the guys from the owl had tipped Rick's office and his house upside down to make sure they had all devices. But now there was a bigger problem. Freddie was gone.

"Am I?" Rick laughed.

"You are." Julio said, "Now I say you got five, maybe ten minutes until Phil gets here, and then you may as well be a dead man. So you can tell me where Freddie is now or… die and we'll find her anyway." Julio nodded.

"He won't do shit." Rick said, spitting out more blood on the floor as he sat slouched against the chair, "I'm not gonna tell you where she is, and I'm not gonna tell Phil either, because I don't know." He said, "I said to a few friends, we're not that close, I asked them if they wanted a toy to play with, they said yes-"

"You motherfucker." Julio clawed his neck, "Tell me where she is!" He yelled as Rick just allowed him to choke him out just as Punk burst through the door with AJ, making his way towards Rick, pushing Julio out of the way and grabbing Rick by the chin.

"Alright, where is she? Enough bullshit." Punk looked him in his beaten face, "What have you done with her?"

"I was just saying to Julio." Rick laughed, "I don't know where she is." He shrugged, "I just called up some old friends of mine and… asked them if they wanted to have some fun, they did." He nodded as Punk punched him on the face hard, almost tipping the chair back.

"I will lift your head from your fucking shoulders if you don't tell me where she is right now." Punk told him as he rolled his head back and groaned.

"I'm not gonna tell you." Rick said.

"Dad, please." AJ begged as Rick turned to her.

"Mija, look. This is what you wanted to be involved with. These animals." Rick laughed.

"The only animal in this room is you." AJ spat, "Tell me where my daughter is, it's the least you could do after taking me from her all this time." She said.

"And if only you done as you were told, if only you stayed away." Rick said, "Maybe I don't have that video anymore but I think I have something that is… much more valuable to you." He smiled to them both.

"I'm just gonna kill you and then go find her." Punk said, "But I won't have to if you tell me, and you speed things up." He said.

"Why would I do that?" Rick laughed, "You took my daughter away from me. Now I'm gonna take yours." He nodded.

"I never hurt April. I loved her." Punk spat.

"You tainted her with all of this… filth." He looked around at the bar, "You put your hands on her. Tortured her mind."

"No, you tortured her mind." Punk spat, "You are running out of time." Punk said.

"No, you are." Rick said as Punk just glared at him, "I don't think they'll wanna kill her, if that helps you out." Rick smiled, "Might just… play around a little with her. Like a cat with a mouse." He smiled as Punk clenched his fists, his breathing becoming out of control, wanting nothing more than to snap this man's neck in half.

"Ok, alright." Julio pulled Punk back, "I got kids out looking in the hotspots on the north, Dean is also out with some guys, I think maybe you should get out there too." Julio nodded to Punk, "I'll deal with him."

"I want him dead." Punk whispered.

"A dead man can't talk." Julio said quietly, "You go. You'll find Dean out there." He said, "You stay." He nodded to AJ who nodded along.

Punk slowly backed off, leaving the owl and heading back off into the north, he figured he would feel more at ease looking for Freddie than he would standing about looking at the bastard who had set the whole thing up.

"You're lucky he's gone." Julio turned to Rick, "Because he would have killed you and if he finds that girl with any damage done to her, any damage, you're just as good as dead." Julio nodded whilst AJ looked over at her father. He was not her father. Not in that moment. Not ever. He was a monster.

"Tell us where she is." AJ said, "Please." She shook her head, "She's… she's just a young girl, she doesn't know anything about this-"

"Oh, really? That's why she was breaking into my office with her little boyfriend then?" Rick asked as AJ folded her arms, "I really don't have the details for you. I just made an arrangement with some local thugs, like yourselves, they jumped at any opportunity to flip off the south side. They didn't tell me where they were taking her or what they were gonna do, although I… I had a pretty good idea." He smirked as AJ grabbed a bottle of beer from the bar, banging it off the counter until it smashed with nothing but pointed edges sticking out.

"Then give us the names and where abouts they were from." AJ said, "Or I will stick this threw your throat and watch you bleed out to death." She hissed as Julio watched.

"Oh, April." Rick laughed, "Don't make me laugh." He smiled, "You wouldn't dare hurt your dad."

"Try me." AJ spat, dragging the broken glass bottle along her father's arm as he winced and yelled as the blood dribbled out, "Where is she?!" She screamed as Julio watched. Here he was thinking that AJ had lived her entire life freely all this time, that she didn't care about Freddie or Phil. He was sorely wrong.

"Ok. Alright. Alright." Rick nodded, starting to get worried, "I… Those older guys from the triangle, they have an apartment across from my office. She… She should be there." Rick said as Julio took his phone out and called Punk to let him know as AJ dropped the broken glass bottle.

"You are dead to me." AJ spat as she looked at her father.

"Phil, yeah try the apartments across from Rick's office." Julio said, "Yeah. Yeah those ones. That's where he's said." He nodded on the phone, "Ok." He said, hanging up on the phone and turning to Rick.

"You best pray she's there and she's ok." He spat.

"I need to go." AJ shook her head, starting to feel disorientated, like she needed to be doing something, helping, out searching.

"I think you should stay here." Julio recommended.

"Freddie is out there. I need to go help." AJ said, "Please, let me do this, let me help her." AJ nodded as Julio looked at her desperation.

"Ok." Julio nodded, "Wait." He said, walking behind the bar, unlocking a door and taking a gun out, loading it up, "Here, take this." He told her as AJ shook her head.

"I don't need a gun." AJ refused.

"You don't know who is gonna be out there on those streets." Julio said.

"I'm not going out to kill anybody." AJ said, "I'm not taking the gun." She warned, "I'll be fine. I know how to handle myself." She said as Julio just put his hands up and nodded.

"Well be careful." Julio told her.

"I will." AJ said, leaving the owl as Julio turned back to Rick.

"Don't you think we're done with you yet." He warned.

* * *

Meanwhile after Punk got the call from Julio they headed to the apartments, bursting into the building.

"Knock on every door." Punk ordered, trying to open up all the doors as Dean followed behind.

They finally got to the top of the building, bursting into the empty apartment as Punk looked around. The only reason he had a hunch it was the apartment they were looking for, was the stench of weed and the booze lying around.

"She here?" Dean asked, walking on in with Punk as they looked around, turning the place upside down which appeared to be empty.

"Fuck!" Punk spat angrily, kicking the coffee table over as it smashed into pieces.

"Phil." Dean said worriedly, lifting up a t-shirt from the floor as Punk turned around, recognising the t-shirt as Freddie's, the one she was wearing when he dropped her off at AJ's earlier on in the night, "This hers?" Dean asked, already knowing by the look on Punk's face as he walked over and took the t-shirt from him.

"I don't care if we gotta start knocking on doors. All doors." Punk said, looking up at Dean who nodded, "I… we need to find her. Now." Punk nodded. He was already worried out of his mind, but now he was feeling sick, physically sick at the thought of not knowing if Freddie was ok or not, or where she even was.

* * *

"What are you gonna do to me?" Freddie asked, feeling her wrists being tied behind her back by one of the men who had taken her. They'd just arrived in a new destination, one which was a lot further into the north she assume due to the time she spent in the trunk of the car. She was trying not to show fear. She knew that was the biggest weakness, but she was scared for sure. They'd taken her clothes from her and put her in a white oversized t-shirt, she didn't know why, she didn't want to know why.

"Don't you like the anticipation?" The man said, tying her wrists behind her back tightly as she winced a little.

"I don't really like surprises." Freddie said.

"That's a shame." The man laughed, "Because tonight is gonna be full of them." He told her as she gulped a little.

She was in a room in another apartment, a more run down one. She was sitting at the bottom of the bed with no access to slap or claw at anyone's eyes, which started to make her nervous.

"Why did you put me in this?" Freddie asked. The white t-shirt only went down to her thighs. She didn't want to think about what was going to happen, but she had a hunch.

"So we can see all the blood a little better on you." He nodded as Freddie looked at him.

"So you're gonna kill me?" Freddie nodded.

"Maybe after." The guy shrugged, standing back up straight as Freddie watched closely.

"After what?" She asked quietly.

"After you spread your legs for us." He said casually as Freddie looked at him.

"Ah, so you're rapists then?" Freddie nodded, "Shame. You seemed nice." She taunted as he turned to her.

"The more you act like a little bitch, the more we're gonna treat you like one." He said.

"We?" Freddie shook her head.

"Yeah, me and the group of guys out there waiting to get a turn." He said.

"You realise my dad will literally take your head from your shoulders if you put your greasy hand or… other parts, anywhere near me." Freddie said.

"Well daddy's not here, princess." He smiled.

"He'll find you." Freddie nodded confidently, even though inside she was shaking with fear.

"No. He's gonna be way too fucked up after seeing the mess we're gonna leave you in. Maybe we'll just keep you alive."

"Why are you doing this? I mean I get it, Rick asked you to but… what have you got against my dad, my family?"

"Nothing." He laughed, "They're just south side scum. There's always a problem." He said, "Now I wonder if you've got that pretty little tattoo somewhere." He said, crouching down, placing his hand on her thigh, sliding it up under the t-shirt as Freddie tried to move away, instead lifting her leg and kicking him hard on the face as he stumbled back a little, "You can squirm all you want, you're not gonna go anywhere." He got to his feet as Freddie looked at him, "Yeah, I think I definitely wanna keep you alive." He nodded, glaring into her eyes as she glared back. He had to have been double her age.

"Go to hell." Freddie spat quietly.

"You just sit tight." He smiled, heading over to the door, "We're gonna go flip a coin to see who gets first dibs." He said as Freddie felt chills up her spine, "I got my fingers crossed." He smirked, walking out of the bedroom and closing the door over as Freddie took a deep breath and began looking around the room but it was useless.

There was nothing but a bed and a window in the room, and the window was locked with a padlock. She was starting to worry. Really worry.


	33. Attack

**Attack**

* * *

"I asked around, someone said they saw these guys get into a black SUV." Dean said, "And if it's the triangle, they'll be going further into town." He nodded as Punk ran his hand through his hair, watching as AJ ran around the corner.

"Hey." Punk said.

"Hey." AJ nodded, "Any sign of anything?" She asked him as Punk shook his head.

"Well… her t-shirt." Punk said, still holding Freddie's t-shirt as AJ looked down and gulped, placing her hand on her mouth, "Don't." Punk shook his head, "We're gonna find her." He said with determination, "We reckon it's these guys from the triangle. We've had some ongoing problems in the past, they would have jumped at the opportunity to do this for your dad." Punk nodded, "And they're based a little further into town."

"Do you know where abouts?" AJ asked.

"I know where they'll be." Rocky added as Punk turned around, not even noticing he was out looking with them, "When Julio sent us to go mess up those kids, there was apartment they all split to. It was further into town. A mess. The windows were all panned in but… that's where they went." He said as Punk nodded.

"Ok, kid. Thanks." Punk nodded, "We'll need to go."

"I'm coming with you." AJ said.

"I don't want anyone else hurt. You should go back to the owl and stay with my dad." Punk said as AJ ran her hand through her hair, "I'm gonna get her." He placed a hand on her shoulder as AJ nodded.

"I'm coming." Rocky told him as Punk turned to him.

"You sure, kid?" Punk said as Rocky nodded, "Alright." He said, "You get back to the owl. Tell my dad what's going on." He told AJ, "It's gonna be fine." He said, trying to act calm for her.

"Ok. Be careful." AJ said, leaning up and pressing a kiss on his lips as Dean raised a brow curiously, watching as they broke apart whilst Punk got into the car and AJ wandered off.

"Since when was that happening?" Dean asked, getting into the car with Rocky as Punk turned the engine on and sped off.

"Doesn't matter right now." Punk shook his head. AJ was the only thing keeping him sane right now.

* * *

Meanwhile Freddie was sat on the edge of the bed, listening to the voices behind the door, trying to keep herself together. She didn't want to be that scared little girl begging for her dad to come save her. She knew she had to be her own hero in this case, but she really didn't know how she was supposed to escape or attack when her hands were tied and there were multiple larger men outside the door.

Her stomach turned at the thought of what they were going to do, she knew death would probably be a lot more dignified, and less painful. She wasn't foreign to how terrible these men were. Her family had always spoke about the triangle, the stories and the dangers, and she knew what they done to their victims.

She knew the only way she had any chance was to attempt to get her hands free. They were tied up with a thick layer of duct tape, so she knew it wasn't just as simple as trying to break them apart, she knew she'd need something to cut through.

She looked around the room but there really was nothing there besides the bed, but just as she was looking around, she got an idea, feeling her tongue ring hit against the roof of her mouth.

She immediately began trying to unscrew it with her teeth and tongue, trying to spin it around until finally it came lose and she spat it down on the bed beside her. It wasn't sharp like a knife of course but she knew with enough work, she could use it to cut through the tape.

She awkwardly turned herself to pick it up with her tied hands, beginning to try and pierce the ring through as she suddenly watched the door open up, pausing with fright as she looked over at the same man who had been in earlier.

"I got first dibs." He smirked as Freddie gulped, making sure he couldn't see the ring in her hand. It was tiny anyway, "I feel bad for the last guy. You're gonna be so used." He chuckled, undoing his belt as Freddie watched, trying so hard to cut the tape, but it was taking longer than she thought.

"Why do you want to do this?" Freddie shook her head, "Why do you want to hurt me?" She asked, trying to play the vulnerable act for a second.

"No particular reason." He said, "We know you're a treasure to your family. And we'll return you, you can go back to them, just… a little used. Hey maybe you might even like it." He smirked, pushing her onto her back as she fell over, clutching onto that ring for dear life as she continue to drag it through the tape, trying so hard to make her way down.

"Does this make you feel powerful? Raping girls? Young girls?" Freddie asked, "You feel good about yourself?"

"I think you'll know how I feel once I get going." He smiled, leaning over her as Freddie tried to keep her cool, lying in horror as she felt him kiss her neck and put his hands on her breasts. She'd never felt so helpless, "You have a great body." He whispered into her neck as Freddie gulped, closing her eyes over to make this moment less real, feeling his hand go down her body past her stomach and over her panties, trying to keep her legs closed as he just forced them open, "Just because your mind is turned off, doesn't mean other places are." He smirked, undoing his jeans, standing up and pulling her down by the hips towards the edge of the bed, pushing the large t-shirt up past her stomach, about to reach for her panties when Freddie broke through the tape, opening her eyes back up and jumping up from the bed, immediately clawing at the man's eyes, sticking her thumbs against them so hard that she almost felt them move. In that moment, she was physically trying to pull his eyeballs out, but she figured she'd done enough damage as he felt to the ground, placing his hands over his face.

She noticed he was bleeding and that blood was under her nails, but she didn't care. She ran to the bedroom door, pulling it open and stepping out as she looked on at the multiple men, around six or seven standing around, smoking and drinking.

"Oh, look we've got a runner." One of them smirked as Freddie stood at the door, not knowing where to go. She couldn't make a run for it, she knew one of them would grab her, so instead she stood frozen with fear. It was like she'd jumped over the first hurdle, yet could see the thousands of other hurdles ahead of her in the distance.

"Here we were, being nice, letting each other take turns but... if you're this eager." He laughed, grabbing her by the wrist and pulling her forward, "Get down." He spat, pushing her down to her knees as Freddie tried to shuffle away but couldn't, watching as the man in front began to undo his belt, choking down her tears when suddenly she saw the apartment door get broken down, looking over and sighing out loud with relief, almost brought to tears as she saw her father and uncle with the rest of the guys from the bar.

She immediately scrambled back into the corner whilst she watched the brawl that began to take place, watching her father particularly who looked like he was going to explode and turn to dust. She'd never saw him so mad, but she understood why, she felt lucky that he got to her in time or else she didn't know what was going to happen to her, and how much her life would have changed.

One dispatching as many guys as he could in the most brutal way, Punk made his way over to Freddie with worry, "Are you ok?" Punk asked her crouching down as she sat huddled in the corner, "Did they hurt you?" He asked, not wanting to know the answer. He could see there wasn't a mark on her, but he wasn't just meaning did they hurt her in a punch in the face kind of way.

"No, it's ok… I'm fine." Freddie nodded truthfully, "They didn't do anything." She said as Punk sighed and placed his hand over his mouth.

"Ok." Punk nodded, taking a deep breath.

"Please can you get me out of here." Freddie shook her head as Punk nodded, helping her to her feet. The guys from the triangle had either ran out of the apartment or were knocked out cold on the ground.

"Are you ok?" Rocky walked over to where Punk and Freddie were.

"She's ok." Punk nodded.

"Here, do you want my jacket?" Rocky asked, already taking his jacket off as Freddie looked at him and nodded. She was starting to go into shock and was beginning to feel numb and confused, "Here." Rocky said, putting the jacket over her shoulders.

"Thanks." Freddie said.

"Ok, we need to clear out before the cops come." Dean nodded.

"Go on." Punk said as Dean headed out of the apartment with the rest of the guys, "It's gonna be ok." Punk nodded, kissing the side of Freddie's head, thanking his lucky stars that she was ok and unharmed, "You go with Rocky." He told her as Rocky put an arm around her and guided her off whilst Punk walked around the apartment to make sure nothing had been left.

Rocky guided Freddie to the broken down door of the apartment, both of them pausing when they heard a wincing noise from behind, turning around as Freddie looked on at the man who she had tried to claw eyes from, pulling a knife out from her father's side as she felt herself lose her breath for a second.

She then watched as he stabbed him again to which Rocky ran over and tackled him to the ground.

"Dad." Freddie rushed over to Punk who had fallen down, his hand on two stab wounds, quickly turning his hand bright red with blood as he tried to sit up, but he just couldn't.

Meanwhile Dean had come back into the apartment and rushed over once he saw his brother on the ground.

"W-What happened?" Dean asked.

"He… he stabbed him." Freddie pointed to the man who Rocky was trying to wrestle the knife from, all the while Punk moaned and groaned in pain.

Dean glared up at the man, making his way over, grabbing him by the head and twisting it in a fast motion as they heard a crack, watching as the very much now dead man slumped to the ground.

Freddie had grabbed her father's phone from his pocket and dialled 911, calling for an ambulance whilst keeping her hand on his wounds, getting even more worried by how much blood he was already losing.

"Fuckin hell." Punk grunted, looking on at all of the blood and rolling his eyes whilst Dean walked back over.

"Just stay with us, ok?" Dean nodded, crouched down beside Punk, turning to Rocky, "Call my dad, tell him to get here now, we need a straight story." He said as Rocky looked on with worry, "Go do it now!" Dean yelled as Rocky nodded and ran off out of the apartment.

"Dad, it's gonna be ok." Freddie nodded, "It's fine, an ambulance is just coming." Freddie nodded to him, noticing his eyes start to roll around in his head, "Please just keep looking at me." She begged, looking at her white t-shirt which had blood all over it, remembering what that evil man had said to her about seeing the blood on her shirt, seeing it had lived up to his expectations.

"I'm fine." Punk nodded to them both, "It's fine." He whispered, lifting his head to look at the blood which was now in a pool on the floor and all over Freddie, looking up at his daughter's worried face.

"C'mon, man. Just keep your eyes open. It won't be long." Dean said. He would have moved his brother himself but there were two stab wounds and way too much blood loss. It was safer to wait on the ambulance.

"Dad, please keep your eyes open." Freddie begged as she noticed her father's eyes starting to close over, crying to herself, pressing on his wounds with as much pressure as she could, not knowing if it was normal for him to even survive with the amount of blood spilled everywhere.


	34. Lucky

**Lucky**

* * *

"W-What… what happened?" AJ asked, walking down the hospital corridor with Toni, looking over where Freddie was standing with Dean and Rocky. She was covered in blood and had no bottoms on. The t-shirt she was wearing covered her down past her thighs, but nonetheless AJ was confused and worried.

"What's going on?" Toni asked.

"Dad was stabbed." Freddie said, her hands shaking, trying hard to keep herself from losing it.

"What?" AJ shook her head.

"These guys… in the apartment… he must have… came up behind him and stabbed him… and then he stabbed again." Freddie shook her head, still in shock by everything, "He's in surgery but… but he lost so much blood." She said as AJ placed her hand over mouth whilst Toni ran her hand through her hair.

"Are you ok?" AJ asked, placing her hands on Freddie's shoulders, "Are you hurt?"

"No I'm ok." Freddie insisted as AJ nodded.

"We also… might have a problem." Dean stood up from leaning against the wall as Toni looked over at him, "I… snapped the guys neck. He's dead." He said as Toni's nostrils flared as she looked at him.

"I didn't raise you to be that stupid." Toni spat.

"You weren't there." Dean said, "Phil is probably dead." He said angrily as Freddie turned to him.

"Do you… do you really think so?" Freddie gulped.

"He was fucking dead in ambulance, Freddie." Dean shook his head.

"Yeah ok, shut up Dean." AJ hissed angrily, "He's not dead, sweetheart." AJ shook her head as Toni placed her hand over her forehead and sighed to herself.

"I told dad so he went to the apartment before the police came to… fix it up, get rid of any loose connections, if you know what I mean." Dean said, "Who is watching Rick?" He asked.

"Some boys at the Owl. No reason to keep him anymore, all those videos are gone, but after this, after all of this… I don't what your dad will do with him." Toni said.

"Can we just…" AJ said loudly and angrily, "Forget about the damn police, and the revenge for one second." She looked from Dean to Toni as Freddie watched her, it was the first time she had saw her mother angry, "Phil is in surgery. He's gonna need us when he wakes up." She said positively, "What he doesn't need is to worry." She said as Freddie nodded.

"There was… a lot of blood." Freddie nodded in a daze as AJ turned to her and sighed.

"Ok." AJ nodded, looking over at Rocky standing against the wall, "Why don't… you go home with Rocky, get cleaned up. You can come straight back here but… maybe just take a few minutes." She said as Freddie looked over to Rocky who just nodded.

"Yeah… I have… no pants on." Freddie looked down, realising she was pantless with blood all over her in a hospital.

"Go back and get cleaned up. Your dad should be out of surgery by then, ok?" AJ nodded to her positively. She knew all this worrying wasn't going to help them out, especially not Freddie who looked close to passing out. She wanted her to take a second to herself. It had been a horrible night.

"Ok." Freddie nodded, wandering off as AJ grabbed Rocky.

"I'm watching you." AJ looked in his eyes as Rocky just gulped and nodded, catching up with Freddie, keeping his jacket around her to prevent any more people from staring at her bloody white t-shirt, and to keep her warm.

"I don't know who the hell you think you are." Dean said, "Considering you've not been here for eighteen years, but I thought we taught you to never pretend that everything is ok. Only makes things harder to digest."

"My daughter is shaken up right now. She's been through hell. The last thing she needs is you telling her you're convinced her father is dead." AJ said, "Which he isn't." She said quickly for her own heart, "If he was, they would have told us by now." She sighed, "So we can just… grab onto a little bit of hope right now." She said as Toni nodded.

"Yeah, we can." Toni said, "You best hope your father comes up with something smart to get you out of this." She looked over at Dean.

"Yeah well I'm glad I did it." Dean said, "Motherfucker could have killed my brother, and they were seconds away from… from gang raping Freddie, he deserved death."

"He did, but there is times and places." Toni said as AJ just switched off. The night had been a complete disaster. The danger her daughter had been in sickened her and shook her to her core, and just as she was relieved that they got her back unharmed, Phil wound up getting stabbed and was pretty much hanging on by a tiny thread.

She watched as a doctor walked down the corridor towards them, her heart beating rapidly as she tried to figure out what he had to say from his facial features.

"He's a lucky man." The doctor nodded as AJ gasped loudly and clasped her hands over her mouth.

"He's ok?" Toni asked with relief.

"Oh, he's far from ok." The doctor said, "But he's alive, which is remarkable. I've never saw someone lose so much blood and pull through." He said, "We've stopped the bleeding and stitched him up. He's in intensive care right now. Family only and just two people at a time." He told them.

"Is he gonna be ok?" Dean asked.

"He's stable for just now. Not much I can say beyond that. He's still receiving oxygen and… when he wakes he's going to be in… terrible pain." He said, "But he's a very lucky man, I'd say."

"Thank you, doctor." Toni nodded sincerely.

"You can go visit him now but… just two at a time and just family." He said as they nodded, watching him walk away.

"You both go." Toni nodded, "I… I can wait."

"What?" Dean turned to her, "No. She's not family." He nodded to AJ.

"Excuse me? We have a child together." AJ said.

"A child which you left? You haven't saw Phil in eighteen years, stop acting like you give a damn about him." Dean said.

"Fuck you." AJ shook her head quietly, "You know I didn't have a choice. I love Phil." AJ spat.

"Enough. Both of you." Toni hissed, "We are in a…" She lowered her voice, "We are in a hospital." She looked around at the other waiting family members and other patients, "Behave." She looked at them sternly as Dean just folded his arms.

"You both go see him." AJ said, "I'd rather see him on my own anyway." She glared up at Dean, "I'll call Freddie, tell her that he's been moved to a room." She said.

"Fine by me." Dean said, walking on down the corridor as Toni sighed and placed her hand on AJ's shoulder.

"He's upset and worried about his brother." Toni said.

"So he gets to take it out on me?" AJ asked.

"No but he's… he doesn't mean anything he's saying." Toni nodded, "It's been a long night, for everyone, and it's probably not gonna get any better with the mess we've found ourselves in." Toni said, "So fighting and squabbling with one another is exactly the wrong thing to do." She said as AJ nodded.

"What about my dad?" AJ shook her head.

"We'll figure it out. Right now, let's just focus on Phil, seeing him through the night, I know he's got the fight in him. And Freddie too, she… well she needs her mother. Now more than ever." Toni said as AJ nodded and gulped a little.

"Go on." AJ nodded, "I'll be fine here."

"Ok." Toni said, walking on down the corridor to join Dean whilst AJ took a seat in the waiting area and gave Freddie a call.

* * *

"That's my mom." Freddie said, walking out of the bathroom in the apartment she lived with her dad, her hair wet with just a towel around her. She'd showered for almost an hour, trying to get the feeling of the night out of her skin.

"And?" Rocky stood up from the couch.

"He's out of surgery." Freddie nodded, "He's in intensive care, only family are allowed to see him, two at a time, and he's got oxygen that he needs… something about pain." Freddie said, trying to remember what her mother had actually told her. As soon as she said that he was out of surgery and in a room, her brain switched off and took a deep breath.

"Sounds promising." Rocky nodded to her.

"Yeah." Freddie sighed, "There was so much blood." She shook her head, sitting her phone on the couch, holding her towel around her as Rocky sat back down, trying not to stare too much, "Mom said the doctor is surprised he pulled through."

"Yeah well he's a tough motherfucker." Rocky smiled, "I'm not surprised." He said as she nodded.

"I'm gonna go… put some clothes on." Freddie nodded. She felt a little dizzy and loopy, probably saying things she wouldn't normally have said in her right state of mind, but it had been a crazy night.

"Ok." Rocky nodded, watching her walk off into her bedroom, closing the door over behind her as he sighed and waited for her to come back out. He hated what had happened to her tonight, even if nothing necessarily happened, the act of it all, the what if, it was still sickening, and her dad getting hurt was just the icing on top. He didn't want her to feel alone.

"He always shouts at me for… leaving towels on the floor." Freddie emerged from her bedroom with her towel, in some comfortable sweats and t-shirt now, walking back into the bathroom to dump her towel in the basket, "You don't have to babysit me." She walked back out, looking over at Rocky who was just sitting, not even putting the TV on.

"I know I don't. But you shouldn't be alone right now." Rocky said as Freddie took a seat on the couch across from him, "Maybe you should get some sleep before going back to the hospital? Something to eat?"

"No." Freddie scoffed, "I need to see him as soon as possible." Freddie said.

"I know but you've… you've been through a lot tonight, maybe seeing your dad… the way he is, it might not help." Rocky said.

"He'll just look like my dad." Freddie shrugged.

"Have you ever… saw anyone you loved in hospital before?" He asked as Freddie thought to herself and realised she hadn't.

"No. Why?" Freddie asked.

"It's a little different." Rocky nodded, "It's hard, and an intensive care unit… that's not good."

"How would you know?" Freddie shook her head.

"My dad died when I was twelve. My mom made me go see him every day until he died. He had cancer. It spread everywhere to the point where he… he couldn't talk because of how much pain he was in." Rocky said as Freddie looked over at him.

"I'm… Rocky I'm so sorry." Freddie sighed, feeling like an idiot.

"I'm just saying, I know you're desperate to see him, but it's not easy." Rocky said.

"I never knew… wasn't your dad in the group?" Freddie asked him, discretely moving from one couch over to the other beside him.

"Yeah he was. Julio… looks out for me and my mom a little better than most. It's what family does, right?" He said as she nodded.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that." Freddie said.

"It's… it's ok. It's not anyone's fault." Rocky said, "Did… did anything happen to you tonight? I know you said you were fine but… if something happened, someone… touched you or… I don't know… you can tell me."

"Nothing happened." Freddie nodded, "I… one of them kissed me a bit and touched me but… nothing that I won't see through." She assured him.

"You're brave." Rocky nodded as Freddie looked down, "I know what I would do with all of them." He grunted as Freddie nodded.

"Well now we're in a slight situation because of my uncle. He flipped and murdered that guy. Looks like those crime, murder stereotypes the Ravens get associated with is actually becoming true." She shook her head.

"His brother was just stabbed and his niece almost gang raped. I think he was mad." Rocky said, "Julio is a mastermind, he showed up and fixed the place up, made it impossible for anyone to point the finger at us."

"And what about my mom's dad? He's just sitting in the owl? How do we even know all those videos are gone."

"They're all gone, trust me." Rocky said, "We cleared out his office, his house, hunted down anyone who knew him, turns out he's not got many friends so it was easy." Rocky said as Freddie nodded.

"Far from perfect." Freddie said, "A few months ago I was… in school, the most of my problems were restraining from slapping a bully." She said, "Now I'm bipolar, rape survivor, almost fatherless-"

"He's gonna be ok." Rocky said, "You gotta believe it."

"What if he's not?" Freddie asked him, "I lose him, I lose everything. He's… he's the only thing I have, Rocky." She looked at him.

"No, you got a family. You got your mom. And you're not… hey, you're not losing him." Rocky shook his head, placing his arm around her, pulling her into him as she allowed her body to relax against his, feeling his arms around her as she sighed, "It's gonna be ok." He said.


	35. Someone To Lean On

**Someone To Lean On**

* * *

"Hey." Freddie said, walking back into the hospital after taking some time at home to shower and get herself together. She had something to eat and had a short nap whilst Rocky stayed in her company, not offering anything but a shoulder for her, but as soon as she woke up restlessly, she just wanted to see her dad.

"Hey." AJ smiled, standing up from the chair in the waiting area where she had sat for a few hours whilst Toni and Dean stayed with Phil, "How are you?" She asked, squeezing her daughter's shoulder softly. She understood her daughter had been through hell tonight, and it made her so upset to see the two people she cared about the most, the people she was always trying to protect, broken and hurt.

"I'm ok." Freddie said, "Rocky went to the owl to… see what was going on. I just had a shower, slept for a bit, but… I just… I want to see him." She nodded.

"Yeah, me too." AJ sighed as Freddie made a face.

"Why haven't you saw him yet?" Freddie asked her.

"Your uncle and gran are… in the room with him, it's family only so I would wait on you to go in, it's just two at a time." AJ said.

"Let's go then." Freddie nodded as AJ followed her. Her bravery and strength, despite what she had gone through, was something she was so in admiration of. It gave her strength in ways.

"I… I'll need to say I'm his wife." AJ shook her head.

"Then say that." Freddie said casually, walking down the corridor and into the doors of the intensive care unit, which Toni and Dean were just leaving the room.

"Have they said anything else?" AJ asked them quietly.

"No. No, he's just… still in critical condition. These hours are the most determining ones." Toni said as AJ nodded, "Are you ok?" She turned to Freddie who just nodded.

"I'm ok." Freddie said, "I just want to see him."

"You might get a fright." Dean told her truthfully.

"I'm not a baby." Freddie looked at him.

"You should come stay with us at our house." Toni said, tucking a strand of Freddie's hair behind her ear whilst AJ stood quietly behind, "I don't want you staying in the apartment on your own, and that boy isn't supervising you the whole time." She said.

"Mom can stay with me." Freddie shrugged, turning to AJ who lifted her head, "Right?" Freddie said, not seeing how it would be such a big deal.

"If… yeah, if you want me to." AJ nodded.

"Ok." Freddie said, turning back to Toni, "I'll be ok." She nodded.

"Right." Toni smiled, "Well we're going to the owl to… see what the hell is going on with all of this, to figure it out with your dad, and also to see what's going on with… the issues Dean may have caused us." She looked to her son.

"You would have done the same." Dean mumbled.

"Julio might come by later to see Phil. I'll let him know what's going on." Toni said.

"Ok." AJ nodded, parting ways with them as her and Freddie headed into the hospital room whilst Toni and Dean left.

They walked in and both had prepared themselves to see a scary sight, and that's what they saw. The room was dim and Punk lay out cold on the bed, almost making everything around him look bigger than what they actually were. He was chalk white and had a million and one machines bleeping around him. He had an oxygen tube around his nose and in his mouth, drips in his hand and more going on around him.

Freddie had never saw such a frightening sight before. Someone she had considered her only source of love, trust and comfort for so long, seemed so far away, so small and weak.

"Phil." AJ sighed to herself, walking over to the bed, sitting down beside him and placing her hand on top of his whilst Freddie still stood at the door, not sure if she really wanted to go much closer, wishing she had trusted Rocky when he told her it was going to be difficult.

AJ turned around and saw Freddie stood still at the door. She dried her own tears and nodded to her, "It's ok." AJ said as Freddie walked in a little closer, walking around the bed and sitting down at the opposite side, looking at all the machines which she supposed was keeping her father alive.

"This… isn't ok." Freddie shook her head quietly as AJ nodded.

"I know." AJ sighed, "I know but he's… he's strong. You know that." She said, "He's got over the worst of it, now he just needs to get better." AJ nodded, convincing her own self never mind Freddie. It may have been hard to believe that she still had the same feelings for Punk like she did eighteen years ago when she last saw him, but her feelings really hadn't left, she still cared about him as the father of her daughter and also her best friend who she fell in love with.

"Is he breathing on his own?" Freddie asked.

"Well… yeah, but I think he just needs a little more help." AJ said, "He should wake up soon." She nodded to her as Freddie just stared at her father, "Freddie, it's gonna be ok." AJ said.

"How do you know that?" Freddie asked, "He's so white." She said, "I just want him to say something, you know?" She said sadly as AJ nodded.

"He will. Soon. He'll wake up." AJ nodded.

"What if he… didn't get to me in time?" Freddie spoke to herself, "I… I always tell him I'm fine, I'm not a kid and I can handle myself but I couldn't… I needed him, and he was there." Freddie nodded.

"You were in a lot danger. No one could have handled themselves in that situation. He's your father. He'd die before anything happened to you." AJ nodded, "He'll pull through."

* * *

They stayed with Punk for a little while in the room before AJ suggested they go home and get some sleep and food. The only way she could convince Freddie to leave was by telling her that they would come back first thing in the morning to see him.

She was surprised but glad that Freddie had asked her to come back and stay with her in their apartment. She didn't want to be alone right now and she also didn't want her daughter to feel alone.

"I uh… I can make you something or… or we can just order in." AJ said, walking into their apartment which was fairly nice. It was the first time she'd been in it. It felt like a home. A home her and Punk could have had together with their daughter.

"I'm… I'm not that hungry." Freddie told her truthfully.

"Right." AJ nodded, "Me neither really." AJ admitted, walking on over to the couch, taking her jacket off and sitting down as Freddie collapsed back against the cushions, "The doctor said he's going strong. These few hours for him would have been the most testing and challenging, so he's coming this far, he's gonna wake up and be ok." AJ nodded to her. She just wanted to give her daughter some comfort. Be a mother, the best she could.

"I know." Freddie said, "What are they doing with your dad? Do you think Uncle Dean is going to get arrested?" She asked, still so many unsettling questions floating around.

"I don't know what they'll do with my dad, and I don't care. He… he started this." She shook her head, "He's a monster and… they can do as they please." She nodded, "As with Dean, Julio knows his way around a crime scene. He'll… have things covered. Don't you be worrying about any of that stuff." AJ told her. She didn't want her worrying about anything else.

"Everything seems so fast. Ever since I got out of the hospital." Freddie shook her head, "It's just been… chaos after chaos." She said.

"I know." AJ nodded, "But it's gonna get better." She said.

"How does it feel? Knowing you don't have to stay away?" Freddie asked her.

"It feels good. I wish… your dad was here with us but… knowing I can be here with you and not have to worry about your father's freedom being taken away… it's good." AJ nodded, "It's surreal actually."

"He may as well have just kept you locked in a basement all this time." Freddie said, "I don't… I don't blame you for staying away. I did. But that's when I didn't know the story. You were… protecting my dad, if anything it tells me how much you care." She nodded as AJ smiled.

"That means a lot to me, Freddie." AJ nodded sincerely. It did mean a lot, coming from her own daughter who she feared would never want to have a relationship with her. But they were facing this head on together, "Freddie, now that it's just me and you… I know we're not on opening up terms right now, but… if anything happened to you… with those guys… if they hurt you… or done… something." AJ shook her head, "You know you can tell me." She assured her Freddie nodded.

"Nothing happened." Freddie assured her, "I promise." She said as AJ nodded, "And I don't want to think about what could have happened either." Freddie said as AJ nodded.

"Of course not." AJ said, "I'm really sorry about all of this… I-I feel like it's partly my fault. If I just stayed away-"

"I was the one who came to you." Freddie reminded her, "And no, you don't… that's not fair. You couldn't just live your life so alone, and away from people you clearly love. It's not your fault. It's your bastard dad." She said.

"I don't expect you and I to be best friends so soon, but… I'm glad we can lean on each other right now." AJ admitted truthfully, "Seeing your dad the way he is, it's not easy." She said, "And I wanna be there for him but I know me… coming into your life… it's not what you're used to."

"No but I… he needs you." She nodded, "I mean… I could have a step mom on numerous occasions, maybe even step brothers and sisters, but any relationship he had that was worth going forward he would just purposely ruin." Freddie said, "Because he still loves you, as sick as that makes me feel." She added as AJ smiled.

"I thought you would wanna fight me." AJ admitted.

"You had no choice. I… I get it." Freddie said as AJ smiled, "The last thing we need to do right now is fight with each other. Dad needs us. Both of us." She nodded, "Maybe for once things can be… normal once he gets better." She said as AJ nodded.

"Hopefully." AJ said. She felt like she had waited her entire life for this, to actually be on civil and rather good terms with her daughter. She was a lot like Phil in the sense she was laid back, but also very logical too. She was glad she understood why she had done what she did, and was glad they could have each other right now at this time.

"I'm gonna go to bed." Freddie stood up as AJ stood up too and nodded, "You can sleep in dad's bed, he… won't mind I suppose." She said as AJ just smiled and nodded, "Uh… goodnight then." Freddie said, hesitantly waiting around before stepping in and wrapping her arms around her mother as AJ smiled to herself. It was all she could have asked for and wanted.

"Goodnight." AJ smiled, hugging her back tightly before breaking apart and watching Freddie wander away to her bedroom.

AJ then found her way into what she assumed was Punk's bedroom, walking over to the side of the bed and sitting down on the edge, smiling as she picked up a framed picture of him and Freddie. She had to have been around the age of 10 or 11.

She then lay down on top of the bed and sighed to herself. She wasn't sure if things could ever be perfect. They'd been so broken for so long it was hard to believe it, but being here with her daughter, having that freedom again was everything to her, she just hoped and prayed Punk would be ok.


	36. Woke

**Woke**

* * *

AJ walk up the next morning after practically passing out. She wasn't sure about how to handle her situation. She didn't know if Freddie wanted her to stay with her until Punk got out of hospital, or if she just wanted her to stay for the one night.

She got up and got washed, leaving the bedroom and heading into the kitchen to make some breakfast. Freddie woke up not long after and joined her. They hadn't heard anything from anyone about how Punk was doing which worried AJ a little bit.

It felt strange for Freddie to wake up and be greeted by her mom. She'd dreamt about it as a little girl, as she got older into her teen years she started to hate the idea, but now her mom was here and she knew what had gone on, she felt like that little girl desperate for a mom again, not that she'd show it of course.

"You want more orange juice?" AJ asked Freddie.

"No. I'm ok." Freddie nodded to her, "I… I really need to go to te store, we practically have nothing in our fridge." She admitted.

"I can go. I'll buy some things in if… if you tell me what you want." AJ said.

"We can go together." Freddie shrugged as AJ nodded slowly.

"I guess I should probably go back to my apartment tonight-"

"Why?" Freddie asked, "What? You don't want to stay here with me?" Freddie said.

"Do you want me to?" AJ asked.

"Well I… yeah." Freddie nodded, "I don't wanna be here alone, and I thought you'd rather be here. Now that you're practically free." She said as AJ smiled.

"I just didn't know if you'd want me constantly around." AJ admitted.

"I think we could both use the company." Freddie said, "Aren't you gonna move here anyway? Now that you don't have to worry? I mean, this is your home." She said.

"Maybe, yeah." AJ said, "I… I don't want to rush anything. Your dad… we still haven't got a chance to even talk yet, properly." She said as Freddie nodded, "And my job is in the north."

"So you'd rather be there?" Freddie asked bluntly.

"No, of course I wouldn't. It's just… there's a lot to figure out, a lot that I'm not thinking about right now. I just wanna… make sure your dad is on the mend."

"Yeah, me too." Freddie said, finishing her cereal off, "Hey where is your tattoo then? Is it on your foot or something?" She asked. She knew her mom had the tattoo, but it wasn't visible anywhere that she could see.

"Uh… no, it's on my hip." AJ said.

"Well show me." Freddie laughed a little as AJ groaned a little and stood up, pulling down her jeans at the side along with the side of her panties, trying not to show too much as Freddie laughed to herself.

"You're ridiculous." Freddie said.

"How?" AJ gasped, taking her bowl and washing them in the sink.

"Why wouldn't you just put it on your wrist on behind your ear or something. Is that why you've not had any boyfriends? Do they see that and run out the door?" She asked as AJ smiled and shook her head. Her daughter had the same teasing nature she remembered Phil having.

"I've had boyfriends." AJ defended, "Didn't last long, most of them didn't go past the first date actually." She admitted to herself.

"Well at least you and dad are compatible there." Freddie smiled as AJ nodded, just as there was a knock at the front door, "I'll get it." Freddie said, walking out of the kitchen and over to the front door, opening it up to see her two friends holding two gift bags.

"Hey." Lucy sighed, wrapping her arms around her best friend, "Are you ok? We… We can't believe what happened." She said as Jenny embraced Freddie straight after.

"Does everyone know?" Freddie asked with horror.

"No, we asked Rocky. He told us, well he told us briefly. Did… are you ok? Did something happen to you?" Lucy asked.

"No… I'm fine. Really." Freddie nodded. She was glad she could honestly tell people she was fine. She knew the danger she had been in and she knew it was possible she wouldn't have been able to tell people she was fine.

"Here, we brought you some chocolates. Your favourite ones from that dollar store down the street." Lucy extended the bag as Freddie smiled.

"Thanks, guys." Freddie smiled.

"And this one is for your dad." Jenny sat the bag over, "How is he doing?"

"He's… well he's ok. He's in intensive care but they stopped the bleeding and stitched him up. It's still early to say much. We're gonna go see him soon." Freddie said.

"We?" Jenny asked.

"Yeah, me and mom." Freddie said, "She's staying here with me. Do you wanna meet her?" She asked, not giving them a choice as she walked off into the kitchen where Jenny and Lucy followed her, looking on at AJ who was tidying up from breakfast, "Mom." Freddie said as AJ turned around.

"Oh." AJ tilted her head a little, "I… I know your faces." AJ said.

"Yeah, we false asked you for directions… to figure out where you lived." Jenny smiled as AJ nodded and smiled a little.

"Mom these are my best friends, Jenny and Lucy." Freddie said as AJ smiled.

"Well it's nice to meet you girls." AJ smiled.

"You too." Lucy nodded, "We're real sorry about Mr Brooks. You need to tell him we're thinking about him." She turned to Freddie.

"You tell me to tell him that anyway." Freddie shook her head as Jenny and Lucy just shrugged, "But I will." Freddie nodded.

"We'll get going and let you get to the hospital. It was nice meeting you." Jenny nodded to AJ.

"You too." AJ smiled to them both as Freddie walked them out of the apartment and came back into the kitchen, "They seem really nice. How long have you known them?" AJ asked her.

"Since pre-school." Freddie laughed a little, "They uh… I think they like dad better than me, but… I'm used to it by now." She shook her head as AJ smiled.

"I'm sure they just tease you." AJ said, "It's nice they came to check up on. It's good friends. I never had those." She said as Freddie nodded.

"Yeah, they're good to me." Freddie smiled, "Should we… get going?" She asked.

"Yeah." AJ nodded, "Maybe on the way back I'll… go pick up some clothes from my place then?"

"Yeah." Freddie nodded. She wasn't trying to be overbearing, she didn't feel it awkward or tense between them anymore. She just didn't want to be alone right now and asking her mother to stay with her, she didn't think it was a big deal, even though it was a weird feeling to get used to her being around.

"I also need to talk to Julio at one point, to see what the hell he's doing with my dad and what the hell is actually going on." She said as Freddie nodded.

"I'll gladly stay out of that." Freddie said, "I'm gonna go put my shoes on." She told her as AJ nodded.

* * *

They left the apartment and headed to the hospital to go visit Punk. AJ assumed Punk's family would have gone in earlier and hoped it would allow her and Freddie to see him. They walked on into the room and were glad to see he was awake, but not really saying or doing much. He was still hooked to all machines. The oxygen from his mouth was out but not from around his nose, and he still looked really pale and weak, but Freddie didn't care, just seeing his eyes open was a huge step.

"Hey." Freddie shook her head as Punk drew a faint smile, lifting his fingers slightly to signal a small wave, not having much strength to move his whole hand, "How are you?" Freddie asked, "I know, dumb question." She said, walking around the bed and taking a seat by his side, scooting the chair forward as close as she could to him as he just nodded to her, "Can you not talk?" Freddie asked worriedly.

"Have your tubes just been taken out?" AJ asked Punk who nodded to her. He hadn't long woke up, so he was feeling a little groggy and unresponsive, but he knew who he was in the room with, and he knew what had happened and why he was in hospital.

"Oh, ok." Freddie said, "Well… you don't need to talk." Freddie shook her head as Punk turned to look at her, "I'll talk." She smiled as he smiled back. He could already see how worried she was and it killed him, "Mom is staying at the apartment with me so… don't worry about that." Freddie told him as he nodded slowly, "She's gonna get some things from her place and stay until you're good to come home."

"If that's ok." AJ said immediately, sitting down at the opposite side of the bed beside Punk who nodded to her. Of course it was ok to him.

"Jenny and Lucy told me to tell you they're thinking of you." Freddie smiled, "They brought some things but I'll wait until you're a little better to give you them." She said as Punk nodded, "Are you in pain?" She asked worriedly as he nodded, "You look in pain." She sighed, watching as he pointed to the button by his bed, "W-What?"

"He's waiting for more medication to go through." AJ said as Freddie looked at the button which was red, "When it goes green he can get more."

"You must be really bad to be taking drugs." Freddie said as Punk nodded.

"Do you want a drink?" AJ asked him as Punk nodded, "I'll go get a doctor." She said, standing up and leaving the room as Punk watched her.

"She's been real good." Freddie said as Punk turned to her, "I like having her around. And… you don't have to worry about anything. Julio has taken care of it, those men and mom's dad. So… you just focus on getting better." Freddie said as Punk just nodded.

"A-Are… you ok?" Punk managed to croak out. His throat was sore and tender from the oxygen tubes, and he sounded like an old man who smoked fifty a day.

"Me?" Freddie saw in awe. He was damn well a ghost lying in bed and yet his first words to her were asking her if she was ok, "Dad, I'm fine." Freddie shook her head.

"Those… Those men… w-what… what'd they… they do?" He asked her as Freddie shook her head.

"Nothing. They didn't do anything, I promise." She nodded, "They just took me there, waited around and then you came. I… They didn't do anything." She assured him. She knew that wasn't exactly true as she was assaulted in some ways, but the way her dad was right now, he didn't need to know that, "Uncle Dean… killed that man who stabbed you." Freddie told him as Punk nodded, "But… Julio took care of it." Freddie told him as he nodded.

"Like always." Punk croaked out.

"Well main thing is you don't have to worry about any of it." Freddie said, she didn't know details, and didn't really know if Julio had actually taken care of things, but she didn't want her father worrying about anything.

AJ came back into the room with a cup of water after talking to a doctor who gave it to her. They were happy with how Punk was doing so far, but she knew he wasn't anywhere near good enough to do so much as sit up. She couldn't imagine the pain he was in.

"Ok." AJ said, "Here you go." She walked over to him, "Do you want me to-" She said as he nodded. He didn't really feel strong enough to lift his hands, and if there was one person he trusted to take care of him, it was these two women right there.

AJ lowered the cup to his mouth as he lifted his head and took a drink, leaning back as she sat it on the little stand beside.

"That helped." Punk nodded, his voice still croaky but soothed a little by the water as AJ smiled and sat back down.

"The doctors are happy with how you're doing." AJ nodded to him, "Really happy. It's just about you healing now and getting your strength back."

"I feel… I feel like an invalid." Punk said quietly.

"You kinda look like one." Freddie told him as Punk smiled.

"D-Don't… make me laugh." Punk pleaded as Freddie frowned a little, watching him try and not laugh due to the pain.

"Oh, look it's green." Freddie noticed the button as Punk turned around.

"P-Press it." Punk nodded desperately as she pressed the button to give him more medication to help with the pain due to it being so bad.

"Is everyone… is everyone ok?" Punk asked, turning to AJ who nodded.

"Yeah, we're all fine." AJ nodded, "You don't have to worry. Julio has taken care of everything. Made you guys look like ghosts in that apartment. And my dad… he… he's not even worth shedding a thought on anymore." She said, "Everything is ok."

"I'm gonna get a coffee, do you want anything?" Freddie stood up.

"I'm ok." AJ smiled to her as she nodded, leaving the room as Punk looked at AJ, "What?" She smiled a little.

"You two… getting along?" Punk asked her quietly as AJ smiled.

"We could both use the company, and I finally get to… be in the same room as my daughter without worrying about you possibly going to prison." AJ said, "A lot has gone in the past… forty eight hours."

"Yeah." Punk grumbled.

"You don't mind me staying at your place… in your bed?" AJ asked him, she couldn't help feel it was a little rude and intrusive.

"You've been in… in my bed before." Punk pointed to her as AJ nodded and smiled.

"I suppose I have." AJ said, "Are you… in a lot of pain?" She sighed as Punk nodded, "I'm gonna be here for you, as much as you let me be." She nodded, "I… I thought you were gone. I mean… who gets stabbed twice and lives to tell the tale?"

"Me." Punk grumbled with tired eyes as she smiled.

"Yeah, you." AJ nodded.

"Thanks for… for being here for… Freddie." He said slowly, still taking his time with his speech, "She-She does need you." He nodded.

"She needs you too." AJ said, "I need you." She nodded as Punk smiled, watching her as she leaned forward, pressing a kiss on his lips as he kissed back, not wanting her to move away as she cupped his cheek.

Meanwhile Freddie was walking back with her coffee and paused as she watched through the room window, watching her parents kiss, raising her eyebrows with confusion, not thinking they were quite there yet.


	37. The Fear

**The Fear**

* * *

"So when is the wedding?" Freddie asked as AJ drove back from the hospital after stopping by at her apartment to grab some things whilst staying with Freddie.

"What?" AJ shook her head with confusion, keeping her eyes on the dark road as Freddie sat beside fidgeting with her hands.

"Your mouth got a problem with staying on its face?" She asked as AJ raised her eyebrows, "I saw you kissing."

"Freddie, that wasn't-"

"What?" Freddie laughed, "You trip?" She asked as AJ took a deep breath. She had a comeback for everything, literally.

"Your dad is hurting right now and I just want to be there for him." AJ said, "Is that ok with you?"

"Be there for him. Fine. That doesn't mean you gotta kiss him." Freddie said.

"Why is it such a big deal?" AJ asked her.

"Well for starters, he's on a lot of drugs so… you shouldn't take advantage of where his head is at. Second, don't just feel sorry for him because he got stabbed. Third, don't lead him on if you're just gonna run off again and leave him-"

"Freddie." AJ interrupted, "I'm not… none of that is relevant. I love your dad. That's never changed. I have no reason to hide that anymore. I'm not… I'm not charging into your lives, I know you're not used to any of this, I'm not either, but he needs his family, and us right now." She said, "We haven't even got a chance to talk about… us, me and him." AJ said, "I just want him to know I'm here." She told her as Freddie just nodded.

"As long as you don't hurt him." Freddie mumbled, looking out the window as AJ smiled.

"I promise." AJ nodded.

Freddie wasn't use to such a normal family setting. Seeing her parents affection towards one another was strange and unexpected, and she wasn't sure it was what she wanted to see, she knew it wasn't necessarily about her, but she'd just been so used to her father this whole time, she never even imagined what it'd be like to have a happy home with a mom and dad under the same roof.

"Are you still going to the owl?" Freddie asked her as AJ nodded.

"Yeah, I need to talk to Julio." AJ said, turning around the corner and parking up against the bar, "You coming in?" She asked Freddie.

"Yeah, I suppose." Freddie said, getting out of the car as they both headed into the owl. Whilst AJ wandered off to where Julio was, Freddie spotted Rocky over in the corner and headed over to say hello.

"What you doing here?" Julio asked AJ who approached him at the bar.

"To see what the hell is going on with my dad." AJ said, "Have you let him go?"

"Yeah." Julio nodded, "I told him to leave Chicago, to take your mom and leave, and I wouldn't have to make any decisions I regret." He said, "He's not a problem anymore."

"What if he comes back?" AJ shook her head.

"He won't, trust me. He's beaten and slashed, thanks to you. He's been warned. And there's no footage anymore. He'd be stupid to come back." Julio said, "I booked the flights using his credit card of course, he's not our problem anymore, and he's not your problem anymore. You can… come home." Julio nodded as AJ sighed to herself and nodded. She'd waited eighteen years to hear that, to feel free to come back to where she felt she belonged, where she felt loved her.

"What about Dean?" AJ asked, "He murdered that guy-"

"I took care of that." Julio said, "He was acting on impulse and I would have… done the same thing. It's not going to trace back to us, trust me." Julio said, "Toni said you were staying with Freddie at the apartment, that's good." He nodded, taking a drink of his whiskey.

"Yeah, she suggested it." AJ admitted still with surprise, looking over at Freddie standing talking to Rocky, "I think… me and her just need to take it slow. I mean I… I've missed so much of her life." She shook her head.

"You can make up for it." Julio said.

"Can I?" AJ asked.

"Yeah if you want to." Julio said, "I know it's a bit up in the air with Phil in hospital right now, but when he gets out, things go back to normal, you can… try and get your life back that your dad took from you." Julio nodded, "If… like I said, that's what you want."

"Of course it is." AJ said, "I just don't want to rush into things, me and Freddie are getting along good but… I know she's still not used to me being around, and it's not fair for me to just dive in head first." She said.

"It'll work itself out." Julio nodded to her, "How is Phil?" He asked as AJ told him about how Punk was doing.

Meanwhile Freddie was chatting to Rocky over in the corner, "How is your dad? Did you see him?" Rocky asked her.

"Yeah, he's woke up." Freddie nodded, "It was… pretty scary seeing him at first." She said. For some reason she just liked talking to him, she felt like she could trust him, and he wasn't as scary and intimidating as everyone made him out to be.

"I thought it would be." Rocky nodded, "At least he's on the right track." Rocky said, looking over to where AJ and Julio were talking at the bar, "You two getting along?" He asked her, dusting the top of his cue stick whilst standing beside the snooker table.

"Yeah, we are." Freddie nodded, "I'm just… I'm glad there's no secrets anymore and she can… well she can come home I guess." She said.

"Best not to rush into anything." Rocky suggested.

"Yeah, I know. She's only staying with me because dad isn't there, probably once he gets home she'll maybe find a place near here. She doesn't want to rush anything either." Freddie said as Rocky nodded.

"I guess you could use each other right now." Rocky said as Freddie nodded, "Hey, I wanted to go visit your dad but I think it's only family allowed. Would you be able to get me in?" He asked.

"Yeah, sure." Freddie nodded, "I'm gonna go tomorrow morning if you want to come with me?" She asked.

"If that's ok." Rocky said as Freddie smiled and nodded.

"That's fine." Freddie said as Rocky nodded.

"Ok." He said slowly, looking around awkwardly as Freddie stared at him.

"I uh… I should get going." Freddie said as Rocky nodded.

"Ok, cool." Rocky said as Freddie smiled, turning around and walking away, rolling her eyes and shaking her head at not being able to find anything else to say to him, joining AJ with Julio before leaving the bar.

* * *

"You're talking to Rocky an awful lot." AJ said, walking into the apartment with Freddie later that night.

"I spoke to him for five minutes tonight." Freddie laughed, "I wouldn't say that's a lot." She defended, walking through to the kitchen as AJ just smiled and nodded, sitting her bag down and following her.

"Do you like him?" AJ asked whilst Freddie opened the fridge and scoffed.

"Absolutely not." Freddie said.

"He's just a good friend then?" AJ hummed.

"Yes, he is." Freddie turned to her, "What did Julio say about your dad anyway?" Freddie asked, wanting to desperately change topics.

"Oh just that he's gone away. To the extent of that I don't know but… I think he'll stay away now. He looked… scared when he was at the owl tied up. He's lucky he got away so easily after what went down." She admitted truthfully.

"Why do you think your parents were so… against you being here?" Freddie asked, "It just… it all seems a little extreme."

"I don't know." AJ shook her head, "I never understood it, and then I just had to accept it I guess. To get by I used to tell myself… oh, they just care so much about me, that's all, but… taking me from you, practically blackmailing me, it… it shows they just didn't care. I guess it was more like a possessive thing and… maybe a standard thing. I don't know." AJ said.

"So are you gonna move to the south now?" Freddie asked her, taking out a bottle of water from the fridge.

"I… I think so." AJ nodded, "I still have my job in the north but… if I want to build my life back up, I want to do it with you and your dad in it." AJ said as Freddie nodded. It meant a lot to her that Freddie was even willing to let her in and was open to forming a relationship.

"I'd like that." Freddie nodded quietly as AJ smiled, "I just don't want you and dad to… think you guys have it figured out and then end up driving each other away because you jumped in too fast. I'm all for having my mom and dad under the same roof but… think about the time that's gone by." She said.

"I know." AJ nodded, "Nothing is gonna be rushed, I promise. Tonight I just… I don't know. I don't like seeing him like that, I just wanted him to know I was there for him and that things would be ok." She said as Freddie nodded, "I like that you care about his feelings." She smiled, "Have you always been like that?"

"We've gone through our phases." Freddie nodded, "You should of seen us when I was like around thirteen, fourteen. We did not get along." She smiled, "He's just been through enough, and I know he cares about you so I'd hate for it to flop just because you guys couldn't wait a few minutes." She said, "But I mean… who am I to tell you what to do?"

"No, I'd rather you tell me how you feel. We won't get anywhere if you don't." AJ shrugged, "And I agree with you." She nodded as Freddie smiled, "Listen I… I got work in the morning, on my way home I'll jump into the store and get some things, why don't you write me a list of what you want?" She said.

"Yeah, sure." Freddie nodded, "I'm going to visit dad in the morning with Rocky, he wants to see him so I said I'd take him." She said as AJ smiled a little too obviously, "Don't look at me like that." Freddie tutted as AJ just smiled.

"I'm not." AJ put her hands up, "Ok, well I'll go see your dad on the way home from work and the store then. I shouldn't be too long." AJ nodded. The visiting time wasn't that long due to how tired and sore Punk was, it wasn't fair on him to expect him to lie and listen and talk when he was in pain.

"Ok." Freddie said, "I'll go write the list." She said as AJ nodded, watching her leave the kitchen as she smiled to herself.

* * *

The next morning, Rocky had met with Freddie to go visit Punk in the hospital for a little while. It wasn't like he was super close to Punk, in fact, they weren't that close at all, but he just wanted to go say hello and see how he was doing, it was common courtesy and they were all a family regardless.

"What are they feeding you in here? Is it nice?" Freddie asked, sitting on the armchair beside her father's bed whilst Rocky sat beside, "The jello was disgusting, the one they gave me." She told her father, studying he food he'd left by the bed, "You not hungry?" She asked him as he shook his head. He could barely move himself and he was starting to get frustrated and fed up with the pen and his lack of ability to actually do anything.

"It kinda reminds of plane food." Rocky admitted.

"Yeah, I get you." Freddie nodded, watching her father look down at the button beside him which was red, groaning to himself as she sighed, "How long until you can get more?" She asked.

"I-I don't know." Punk sighed, "Probably another hour."

"Must be really bad for you to take drugs." Rocky scoffed as Punk nodded.

"Don't remind me." Punk shook his head, "I'd hate to… to be without them." He admitted truthfully, "Where's your mom?" He asked Freddie.

"Working. She's gonna come by after she finishes." Freddie said.

"Are you… are you being nice to her?" Punk asked her tiredly, resting his head back on the pillow as Freddie made a face.

"What does that mean? No, dad. I'm punching her in the face." Freddie said, "Yes, I'm being nice."

"Well I know how you get." Punk grumbled as Rocky laughed to himself, "Is she being nice to you?" He asked.

"Everyone is being nice to everyone." Freddie concluded as Punk smiled.

"Good." Punk nodded.

"Well apart from Uncle Dean and mom. They keep bickering." Freddie told him as Punk nodded slowly.

"I'll… I'll talk to Dean." Punk said.

"Do you want me to bring anything in? Like some music or something? Comics?" Freddie asked him as Punk smiled at her sweetness.

"I'm ok just now." Punk assured her as she smiled.

"How long do they reckon you could be in here for?" Rocky asked him.

"Up to a… a few weeks." Punk said, "They told me."

"Well you just woke up yesterday." Freddie said, "You need to heal and get stronger."

"Mhm." Punk groaned quietly.

"I'm going for a coffee, do you want something?" She turned to Rocky.

"I'm ok." Rocky told her, watching her stand up.

"Lay off that caffeine, girl." Punk grumbled as Freddie just scoffed, leaving the room can and closing the door behind her as Punk turned to Rocky who he noticed followed Freddie all the way until she left the room, "Something I should know?" Punk grumbled, reaching for the cup of water in front of him with a weak, shaky hand, taking a drink as Rocky turned to him.

"What?" Rocky said.

"You two… hanging out a lot." Punk stated, "What's going on?"

"Oh, nothing." Rocky shook his head honestly, "I just knew they wouldn't let me in to see you if I came alone-"

"So you're using my daughter." Punk croaked, his almost closed eyes leering at Rocky who gulped. Even though Punk was clearly incapable of so much as lifting a finger towards Rocky, he still felt intimidated.

"No… no, I'm not, I just-"

"I'm kidding." Punk smiled to himself, rolling his head back against the pillow, trying not to move around too much to avoid any pain, "Is… is she telling me the truth… did-did nothing really happen to her?" He asked Rocky.

"She's ok." Rocky nodded.

"That's not what I asked." Punk looked across at him.

"They didn't hurt her." Rocky nodded, "There was a struggle, I think, and an exchange but… they didn't hurt her or-or do anything to her." Rocky said as Punk nodded slowly, "And… Julio sent Rick away. I don't think he's gonna come back." He looked Punk in the eye as Punk nodded.

"Yeah, alright." Punk understood and turned away, "When Freddie goes to school can you… still keep an eye on her?" He asked him as Rocky nodded, "Something is telling me you… won't have an issue with that." He arched a brow.

"Hey." Rocky defended.

"You make one droplet of a tear fall out of her eye and I'll rip your arm off and choke you with it." Punk said casually as Rocky gulped, "When I'm… good and ready." He mumbled.

"O-Ok." Rocky said nervously as Freddie came back in with her coffee and sat back down to join in on conversation.


	38. Lies

**Lies**

* * *

"How are you feeling?" AJ asked, visiting Punk later on in the hospital after she got done at work. The difference in her headspace now that she felt free to do what she wanted to do and go where she wanted to go, without there being any consequences to her actions was something she wasn't quite used to yet.

"How'd you think?" Punk grumbled a little as she took a seat on the chair beside his bed.

"Not hungry?" AJ asked, looking on at what appeared to be his dinner which he'd barely touched, sitting on a tray by the bed.

"No." Punk shook his head, "All the… drugs make me feel ill." He said as AJ nodded.

"Well you're getting a lot of them." AJ said, "Did you see Freddie this morning?" She asked.

"Yeah, her and Rocky came to see me. What's going on there?" Punk asked, wondering if she would know more than him.

"Nothing I don't think." AJ said honestly, "Why?"

"I've… developed a nose for these things." Punk told her.

"A nosey nose?" AJ asked him as he just made a face.

"Yes, that's what it is." Punk said, trying to sit up a little further in bed, wincing loudly by the pain in his side.

"Ok, careful." AJ sighed, standing up, helping him the best she could to make sure he was comfortable, "What has the doctor been saying?" She asked him, fixing his pillow behind him before taking her seat again.

"Nothing much. The wound is healing well but I still feel like… outside of my body." He said.

"Well it's gone through a lot. All that blood loss too. It was no joke." AJ reminded him as he just nodded, "Freddie saw us kissing last night. She got onto me a little."

"Why?" Punk shook his head.

"She just doesn't want anything to be rushed in case it all blows up." AJ said, "And I agree with her. I hope you didn't think I was being forward. I just… you looked in so much pain and I just wanted to let you know I was here for you."

"I'm not complaining." Punk assured her, "We can… work on something, can't we?"

"Yeah." AJ nodded, "I want that." She assured him, "Let's just… focus on you getting better, getting out of here, that's what I said to Freddie, then we can… take it from there." She said as he nodded.

"I still can't believe everything that happened. I still can't believe you're here." Punk admitted truthfully.

"Me neither to be honest." AJ admitted, "I hope… I hope you don't think that I… I could have come back at any point, I just got so worried about what would happen if my dad gave over that footage. Sometimes I'd hype myself up, I'd tell myself I'm gonna go back, I'm gonna tell you what's been going on, but I always just got scared." She shook her head, "And then before I knew it years had gone by." She said.

"I don't blame you for anything that happened." Punk shook his head, "It was your dad. And he's gone now so… it's not an issue. It's been a while, sure, but we can… we can build on something. I mean… you're here now and I feel like you've not even left." He said as she smiled and nodded in agreement.

It was amazing how they just managed to slip back into old ways, the feelings were definitely there, but there had been a lot of days missed with one another that they planned on spending together, and they both knew it wouldn't be easy at all.

"I uh… I have a list from Freddie. I said I'd go to the store on the way home to… stock up, she didn't take the offer lightly let me tell you." She smiled, taking it out of her bag.

"I could probably guess what's on it." Punk shook his head.

"Go on then." AJ smiled.

"Alright well, there will be Cap'n Crunch at the top." Punk said as AJ laughed a little and nodded as she looked at the list, "Cans of grape Fanta." He said as AJ nodded, listening to him as he pretty much listed off everything that Freddie had written down.

"You really do know her." AJ smiled, even though it was a bitter reminder that in fact, did not know her daughter, not how she wanted to.

"Too well." Punk smiled, "You know she went through a phase when she was like five, she just ate Cap'n Crunch the full time. Morning noon and night. It was ridiculous." Punk shook his head as AJ smiled. She was glad to see he looked brighter and cheerier, but she underestimated how hard it would be to eventually get to know all the great things she had missed out on over the years, and she assumed her face said it all, "Hey, you ok?" He asked her.

"Mhm." AJ nodded and smiled, "Yeah." She said, "Oh, look it's green." She looked at the button as Punk groaned with relief.

"Thank God." Punk sighed, immediately pressing the button as AJ smiled, "I feel like a drug addict."

"You… kinda look like one." AJ said.

"Thank you." Punk nodded, "Are you and Freddie getting along ok? I know it sounds ridiculous." He said. He didn't want anything to be awkward or tense with them and would have hated for them to get off on the wrong foot.

"Yeah, we're good. I feel like she's just a mirror." She admitted truthfully.

"Tell me about it." Punk nodded.

"I don't want to sound patronising, I hope it doesn't come off like it but… you've… you've done a real good job of raising her. She's… brave, kind, got a good heart." AJ smiled, "I know it wasn't how you planned but… clearly you didn't need me."

"Oh, I needed you." Punk laughed a little, "More than you know." He said as she placed her hand over his, "You gonna come back home?" He asked her as she smiled.

"This old place?" AJ smiled, "Yeah, I think so." She nodded, "I'll look for a place around here, local, and we can hopefully… piece all of this together somehow." She said.

"Yeah." Punk nodded, "And hey, don't listen to Dean. He's… he's just mad about all of this." Punk said, "He'll come around."

"I know." AJ nodded, "I understand." She said as Punk nodded, "I should probably get going if I wanna make the store." She admitted as Punk nodded and smiled.

* * *

"You really suck at this." Freddie said, sitting her cue stick down as she sat down beside Rocky at the table in the owl after beating him for the third time at snooker.

"I'm letting you win." Rocky laughed as she just shook her head.

"No, you're not. You're really trying." Freddie nodded.

"Whatever keeps you happy." Rocky nodded, "Your dad seemed in good spirits today." He said as she nodded.

"Yeah, he's been good since he woke up. I just hate how much pain he's in." She shook her head.

"He'll get better. Before you know it he'll be back home." Rocky smiled as Freddie nodded.

"Why'd you wanna go see him anyway?" Freddie wondered, "No one else really bothered." She looked around the owl.

"I just wanted to see how he was doing, that's all." Rocky shrugged.

"Secret best friends?" Freddie smiled as he just made a face, "I wanted to ask you this, what's your real name?" She asked him, "I feel ridiculous for not knowing it."

"My… real name is Rocky." Rocky laughed as Freddie raised a brow.

"It's not short for anything?" Freddie asked, "A nickname?"

"What would it be short for?" Rocky asked, "I was born Rocky." He told her as Freddie just nodded slowly.

"Kinda weird, isn't it?" Freddie said as Rocky looked at her. He knew she was known for just saying things brutally honest.

"Well no offence, I don't see a lot of Freddie's like you around. I see Freddie the butcher and Freddie the cab driver from down the street, and they all got dicks."

"Maybe I have a dick." Freddie shrugged.

"Maybe you do." Rocky shrugged, "Why'd your parents call you Freddie?"

"I don't know. They liked it." Freddie shrugged, "Why'd yours call you Rocky?" She bit back.

"They liked it." Rocky said smugly as Freddie just nodded.

"I see." Freddie said, "Where are all your buddies? Aren't they normally following you around?" She asked him. He didn't intimidate her like most people were by him. To her, he was just another boy.

"Probably crashing a school party." Rocky said.

"That's what you do with all your free time?" Freddie scoffed, "Crash high school parties? To what? Scare people?"

"No, we just don't get invites, so we show up." Rocky said, "What? You think we show up at places just to cause chaos?" He asked her.

"Well yeah, I do." Freddie nodded.

"I thought your dad taught you better." Rocky tutted as Freddie glared at him, "You know you're always welcome to sit at school with us, I mean… you're part of the family." Rocky nodded.

"I have my friends, thanks." Freddie smiled.

"I didn't ask you to be my friend." Rocky reminded her. She was hard to figure out, sometimes he thought she was being playful and sweet to give him hints, then she looked like she wanted to punch him in the face, all whilst looking like the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen. Images of her dad ripping his arm off and choking him with it was a little off-putting of course.

"Are you still gonna look out for me in school? Make sure I'm not going off the rails?" She teased.

"Your dad just cares about you. I don't think that's a bad thing." Rocky said, "He wants you to be ok, especially right now whilst he's in hospital."

"I got my mom, don't I?" Freddie shrugged.

"Who you barely know." Rocky said.

"She's fine." Freddie said, "You should come say hi." She nodded.

"Why?" Rocky asked.

"To be… nice." Freddie said with confusion, "She's been through a lot, and… as much as I love my dad more than anything, I feel like my mom gets me, she gets my illness and how I feel sometimes… that helps me. It makes me not feel like an alien."

"You're not an alien." Rocky said as Freddie nodded, "I think you're great." He said as Freddie looked up at him, gulping a little at the lengthy eye contact and turning away as he fumbled around with his drink.

"Another game?" Freddie asked him, standing up and grabbing the cue stick.

"Uh… yeah." Rocky nodded, watching her as she set the table up again.

* * *

"How was he today?" Julio asked, walking into the house where Toni was sat in the living room.

"Yeah, he's doing good." Toni nodded, in reference to Punk of course, "Lot of pain, poor thing is as white as a ghost too." She said, "But he's doing as good as he can be for now." Toni said as Julio nodded.

"I'm gonna go see him tomorrow before work." Julio said, "Do they know when he'll be out?"

"Could be a few weeks, all depending on how he heals. He's a lucky man." Toni sighed deeply.

"Very lucky." Julio nodded in agreement.

"AJ has been visiting him. She's been staying with Freddie too." Toni said, "Poor thing must feel so out of place."

"She'll fit back into life here, give it some time." Julio nodded with assurance, "If it's what Phil and Freddie wants, and it's what AJ wants, there's nothing stopping them now. They can finally be a family. Better late than never I say." Julio shook his head as Toni nodded.

"Mhm." Toni watched him, "I think you should tell them both, about Rick." She nodded, "Look at what happened the last time we kept a secret from AJ."

"Her father got in the way and that's not a problem anymore." Julio said, "No, Phil is in a hospital bed doped up on all kinds of drugs, AJ is getting to know Freddie and come home to us… why would I do that? Why would I drop that bomb? No one has to know a thing."

"Secrets tear this family apart. We have proof of that. No one is going to be mad with you." Toni said.

"I killed her father." Julio said, "Why wouldn't she be mad at that?"

"Because her father was a disgusting, vile human being who kept her a prisoner from her own child for eighteen years. I don't think she'll be upset, Julio." Toni told him, standing up now.

"What about Freddie then? How do you think she'll feel if word gets out? She's just a child-"

"She's eighteen and stronger than you think." Toni said.

"She's still a young girl who doesn't need to know that kind of information." Julio said, "There is a reason I am head of this family, it's to take care of things, I did what I had to do… he destroyed a family, he destroyed April… he is the reason Phil is in hospital right now and the reason our granddaughter was almost gang raped. I wasn't doing nothing." Julio said.

"And I don't blame you for that. I understand." Toni said, "And somehow I think maybe Phil and April will too. Hiding it from them just doesn't make sense."

"It does. They think Rick has gone away and that's that. I want it kept that way." Julio said.

"And what about Laurel? What happens when she comes around asking questions?" Toni asked.

"Well I actually did send her away. She won't be asking questions." Julio nodded.

"This is why we get the name that we get." Toni shook her head.

"No one is going to know." Julio assured her, "I did what I had to do. He was smug, he was willing to kill our son, to harm our granddaughter. He's the reason we're in this mess in the first place." Julio said, "He had to go, Toni." Julio shrugged as Toni nodded, "Not a word gets out." He pointed.

"Not a word." Toni agreed.


	39. Pushed Away

**Pushed Away**

* * *

" _Oh, look it's the birthday girl." Toni exclaimed with a smile as Freddie skipped into their living room on her fourth birthday. She had some ripped jeans on and a black Ramones t-shirt which was a little big for her. As a little girl, she was AJ's image, which made it a little difficult for Punk sometimes. She had dark long hair which was normally bushy and all over her face because of Punk's lack of hairdressing skills. Toni being a hairdresser came in handy definitely. She also had the softest, caramel skin with big brown eyes that made him melt._

" _It's me." Freddie smiled excitedly. She was also short for her age, taking that from her mother respectfully too, "I'm four today, Toni." Freddie told her gran._

" _Oh, I know, sweet girl." Toni smiled as Punk eventually appeared into the living room. They tended to forget that he was still just a young boy due to Freddie growing up, but he really had matured in the past few years. They had their own place and he was almost fully qualified in the tattoo parlour._

" _Daddy is taking me to the game tonight." Freddie told Toni, "And he bought me a jersey for it." She said, climbing up onto the couch and kicking her converse off as Toni smiled watching her._

" _Is he?" Toni smiled, looking over to Punk who nodded._

" _I might even get you a hot dog since it's your birthday." Punk said as Freddie smiled excitedly._

" _You should." Freddie nodded excitedly as Punk smiled._

" _Is it someone's birthday in here?" Julio stuck his head in the living room._

" _It's mine, Julio." Freddie waved._

" _Oh, I thought so." Julio nodded, "It just so happens we have all these presents for you." He said, holding some bags and presents in his hand as Punk raised his eyebrows._

" _You guys win the lottery?" Punk scoffed._

" _Are they all for me?" Freddie asked._

" _Yeah, look, come open them all up." Julio nodded, taking the presents over onto the floor as Freddie got up and sat on the floor, excited to open up her presents. There was one thing Punk always thanked himself lucky for, and it was the support of his family and how great they were to both him and Freddie. He didn't know where he'd be without them in all honesty._

 _Punk smiled as he watched Freddie get to tore up into opening the presents, watching his father help her as he followed his mom into the kitchen._

" _That's a crazy amount of presents. You guys need to chill out." Punk told her._

" _She deserves them." Toni waved her hand, "How has the day been? I… I can't believe she's four already."_

" _Tell me about it." Punk groaned to himself, running his hand over his face and adjusting his cap on top of his blonde tied back hair, "She woke me up at like… 7, I made her breakfast and she opened her presents. She went crazy over the colouring book you suggested so thanks for that." He said._

" _I thought she would." Toni smiled, "How have you been?" She asked him, switching the kettle on, "You still not sleeping?"_

" _I'm doing ok." Punk nodded, "Sleeping comes and goes I guess." He said as Toni sighed._

" _I worry about you, Phil." Toni said. There wasn't any significant, underlying problem with him, he was just doing so much to try and stay on his feet and support his kid. Stress was probably the most related diagnosis he would have gotten, but he refused to take any sort of sleeping pills._

" _I'm fine." Punk assured her, "I got a few days off now, I can spend it with Fred. We're going to the zoo tomorrow. She's excited to see all the animals and stuff." He nodded._

" _You're the one who sounds excited." Toni smiled, "Do you feel old?" She asked, "Whenever Dean or you had a birthday I always felt like… five years older every time."_

" _I'm twenty two." Punk scoffed, "I'm not old."_

" _No, of course not." Toni said, "She looks excited for the game tonight."_

" _Yeah, she loves the hawks. She's definitely my kid." Punk smiled as Toni nodded, watching as Punk peeped his head back into the living room where Freddie was still opening up her presents._

" _Soon she'll be off to big girl school." Toni smiled as Punk nodded._

" _And then I won't have to worry about anyone having to babysit her." Punk said. It had been extremely difficult as a young man trying to be the best father he could be yet being clueless on what to do, and more or less being on his own. He felt like he'd came a long way from when AJ had left, and he was proud of the home and foundation he was building for Freddie._

" _You know I don't mind looking after her at all." Toni said._

" _I know." Punk said._

" _Daddy, look… look at this book I got. All the characters, they pop out." Freddie walked into the kitchen as Punk turned around, watching her as she opened up the book and showed him as he crouched down._

" _Ok, now that's cool." Punk nodded, "Let me see." He said, taking the book from her as she stood beside him holding onto his shoulder as he flicked through the book with her whilst Toni smiled._

 _He was a great father, and so determined to make a good living for Freddie. She was so proud of him for it, because she knew it hadn't been easy for him._

* * *

"At least you have a TV in here, it's no psych ward." Freddie said, reaching for the remote in her father's hospital room, sitting her legs up on the bed as she sat on the arm chair beside, looking up at the TV as Punk still lay in bed. He was finding it tough to be so bed bound.

"Were you at school today?" Punk asked her. He was feeling a little brighter and could speak a lot clearer now that his oxygen tubes were out, but the pain he was in was still crazy, and he done his best not to show it.

"No I just stayed at home." Freddie said.

"Why?" Punk asked her.

"Because I didn't feel like going." Freddie told him.

"You gotta go back at some point." Punk told her.

"So everyone can stare and point?" Freddie asked.

"Why would they be staring and pointing?" Punk asked her.

"I don't know, maybe because my dad got stabbed." Freddie said, "Fighting all those stereotypes is hard when they're not really stereotypes anymore." She told him.

"Why would people know about anything?" Punk asked.

"Word gets around. People like to talk." Freddie said.

"You got your friends. You got Rocky. Sit with him and his friends." Punk shrugged.

"So it makes you feel better?" Freddie laughed a little as Punk just made a face at her, "Did you know his dad died when he was young?" She asked him, sitting the TV remote down, not paying attention to it as she put her legs down from the bed and turned to face him.

"Yeah." Punk nodded, "Cancer." He said as Freddie nodded, "Why?"

"I just… wondered if you knew him, that's all." Freddie said.

"No, not really. I knew him, sure, but it was more Julio who knew him better. He promised him that Rocky and his mom would be taken care of." Punk nodded.

"Is that why Rocky likes you so much?" Freddie asked.

"With all do respect, I don't think it's me he's all that interested in." Punk narrowed his brows at her as she looked at him.

"Oh, go away." Freddie scoffed as Punk smiled.

"Hey, I'm serious." Punk said, "He's a nice kid." He shrugged.

"Did he say something to you?" Freddie asked curiously as Punk smiled.

"Why are you interested?" Punk smiled.

"Look, just because you're in here, bored, doesn't mean you can be annoying and get away with it." She warned him as he smiled and nodded.

"He hasn't said anything. I'm just messing." Punk said, "He likes to stare though." He said, taking a sip out of the straw in his cup of water, raising his eyebrows as the straw made some noise.

"You're ridiculous." Freddie rolled her eyes as Punk sat the cup down and shrugged.

"I'm only telling you what I see." Punk said, "Personally I'd ignore it. You have school to focus on, your health, college soon… boyfriends are like… the bottom of your list-"

"Oh, you think so?" Freddie asked him.

"Well they should be." Punk said, "Useless they are." He nodded to her.

"Like you?" She tested.

"Now me… I am a different kind of species and you know this." Punk told her.

"Annoying species." Freddie mumbled, "He's coming over tomorrow to meet mom, just to be friendly." She told him quickly.

"I see what you're doing here, girl. You think because I'm a cripple in bed that now is the best time to get a boyfriend so I can't beat him up. You're smart and I like it." Punk nodded to her as Freddie rolled her eyes.

"He's not my boyfriend. He's just a friend." Freddie told him.

"Mhm." Punk nodded, "Just remember I got eyes and ears everywhere. Everywhere."

"You're sad." Freddie shook her head.

"Hey, I just care." Punk defended.

"Next time I'm coming in I'm bringing tape for your mouth." Freddie told him as Punk laughed a little, groaning to himself immediately as he felt his side tighten with pain, causing Freddie to frown, "Are you ok?" She asked him worriedly as he nodded to her. Sometimes the pain was so bad that his breath was taken away by it. He was far from healed, that was for sure.

"I'll go back to school tomorrow." Freddie nodded to him.

"Don't do it for me. Do it for you." Punk nodded, "We gotta… carry on with our lives, Fred." He told her as she smiled and nodded.

* * *

"Hey, so when is Rocky coming over tomorrow?" AJ asked, walking into Freddie's room later that night where she was sitting on her bed with her drawings and pens out in front of her.

"I'm not sure. Probably later on." Freddie told her. It was strange how she was somewhat used to her mother being around already. There was still so much they had to build on and work on, but having her around didn't seem like a shock anymore, and AJ felt the same way. In fact, Freddie liked coming home and seeing her mom, it was something she'd always wished and hoped for secretly.

"Is there… a reason he's coming to say hi to me?" AJ asked her, sitting down on the edge of her bed as Freddie looked up at her.

"No. No reason." Freddie told her, "Just being friendly I guess." She nodded.

"Well that's nice of him." AJ smiled, looking down at her drawings, "You are… really good." She admitted with awe, "You wanna study art at college, right?" She asked.

"Yeah." Freddie nodded, "You used to draw, right?"

"Never as good as this." AJ smiled, "You have a talent." She nodded.

"Well dad always made sure I never gave up on this one. He said it was special." She said, "He let me give up on track and poem writing and basketball but… he always helped me stick in at this."

"Because you're really good at it." AJ smiled.

"It just makes me feel better too." Freddie admitted, "It always has. When I was little, I would go to the tattoo parlour with dad and trace all the books there and colour them in." She said as AJ smiled.

"Why would you be at the parlour with him?" AJ laughed a little.

"When he didn't have anyone to look after me." Freddie said as AJ's smile faded a little, "He'd sneak me in the back and I would sit in the storage room. He'd make me a packed lunch and I'd just draw the entire time." She said.

"What about Toni or Julio?" AJ asked.

"They would all be working. And things were tight for dad so he couldn't miss a shift and he had to over time sometimes." Freddie said as AJ nodded, "Then I went off to school and it wasn't so much of a problem anymore." She said as AJ smiled and nodded.

"Speaking of." AJ said, "You going tomorrow?" AJ asked her. She didn't feel it was in her right yet to tell Freddie what to do, or even advise her. They didn't know each other enough as much as they were getting along well.

"Yeah, I am." Freddie groaned a little.

"You might feel better for it." AJ nodded as Freddie sighed, "I don't want to go all therapy on you, but routine is good." She said, "Makes us feel stable and in control of what we're doing, and school is a big part of your routine." She nodded as Freddie looked at her.

"You must get your money's worth." Freddie nodded.

"Well." AJ smiled, "I'm serious. It's… it's how you're feeling of course but, I think it'd be good for you. Finish school on a high." She shrugged.

"I already promised dad I'd go back so… I don't really have a choice."

"Do it for you, not your dad." AJ nodded.

"He said that too." Freddie said, "I suppose it's not gonna hurt anyone." She shrugged as AJ smiled.

"Do you want hot chocolate?" AJ asked her as Freddie laughed a little.

"You know you don't have to do things to impress me?" Freddie smiled as AJ stood up.

"I'm making it for myself anyway." AJ shrugged, "And I bought marshmallows and cream from the store so it's gonna be extra good." She nodded as Freddie smiled.

"Well go on then." Freddie smiled. Things were beginning to feel strangely normal.

* * *

The next day, Freddie had gone to school and whilst it was a big step for her to take again, it wasn't as bad as she expected it to be, in fact, there wasn't any issues at all and she pretty much breezed through the morning into the afternoon.

"They had burgers on yesterday." Lucy sighed, sitting down at the table with Jenny and Freddie.

"They put cheese on it today." Jenny rolled her eyes.

"Why don't you guys just bring your own lunch? All you ever do is moan about the food in here." Freddie laughed.

"I never have time. I roll out of bed in the morning." Jenny said.

"So do I, I still find time." Freddie laughed a little.

"How is your dad doing?" Jenny asked her.

"He's ok. Still in pain but he's looking a bit brighter." Freddie nodded, "Doctors say he could be in for a while, though. His wound is… pretty bag. I was there when they were changing his bandage and it's… pretty big." She said.

"Isn't there two as well?" Lucy asked.

"Yeah." Freddie nodded.

"He's a literal superhero. I love him." Jenny shook her head with a smile as Freddie rolled her eyes.

"I'd stop speaking like that now that my mom is back." Freddie said.

"Why? Are they together?" Jenny shook her head.

"Well no but… I saw them kissing. Mom said it was just her being there for him but… I don't know." Freddie said.

"Oh, she looks like she'd cut a bitch if they even looked in his direction." Lucy said, "I mean… is it such a bad thing? Having your parents together?"

"Well no but I don't want them to rush into things and forget that eighteen years have gone by." Freddie said.

"Yeah, that's true." Jenny nodded, "Well they're adults I'm sure they'll figure it out." She waved her hand as Freddie nodded.

"I'm not mad about it, I just… I don't know, I'd rather they didn't overwhelm themselves, or me for that matter. It's still so weird having my mom around, I like it and I'm kinda getting used to it but sometimes it's just bizarre to think about it."

"Do you get on?" Lucy asked.

"Yeah we do, actually." Freddie nodded, "Really well. It's good actually." She smiled, "Rocky is coming over to say hi to her tonight. His suggestion not mine." She told them as they both nodded slowly, "And you both have something to say about that, I assume?" She waited on their response.

"Kinda weird." Jenny said.

"Yeah." Lucy nodded.

"Why?" Freddie shook her head.

"Well considering his mouth is attached to someone else right now…" Jenny said, looking over at the table in the corner as Freddie turned around, her stomach sinking as she saw Rocky very clearly with another girl at the table. She felt like an idiot for feeling hurt when there was nothing for her to be hurt over, but she still felt it.

"You ok?" Jenny looked at Freddie who turned back around from looking over and nodded.

"Yeah, fine." Freddie forced a smile as they both look at her, "I uh… need napkins." She said, excusing herself from the table and walking over to the stand with cutlery and other necessary items, feeling like the biggest fool ever.


	40. Troubles

**Troubles**

* * *

"Hey, how was school?" AJ asked as she watched Freddie walk into the kitchen. She'd just gotten home from visiting Punk at the hospital in time to greet Freddie who had come home from school.

"Fine." Freddie said bluntly, dumping her bag down and opening up the fridge, taking the milk out and a bowl as AJ raised a brow.

"I can make you a snack if you want." AJ told her, watching her shuffle some cereal into a bowl.

"I'm fine." Freddie told her as AJ looked on at her pouring her milk over the cereal.

"Ok." AJ said slowly, "When is Rocky coming over? You wanna get pizza… maybe try that new place across the street-"

"He's not coming." Freddie said, "Well he is, but I'm not letting him in."

"Why not?" AJ shook her head.

"Because he's a douchebag, that's why." Freddie told her, "I have homework to do." She told her, walking on out of the kitchen, grabbing her bag and holding her cereal as she left.

AJ shook her head with confusion and carried on with what she was doing when there was a knock at the door. She left the kitchen to go answer it. She could sense something was wrong with Freddie but she didn't want to be too over bearing and forward, and wanted to wait for her to tell her what was wrong. She still felt a little weary around her in certain ways.

She opened up the door, expecting it to be Rocky when she saw it was Toni standing with a box of donuts. AJ tilted her head with confusion.

"Hey." AJ shook her head, letting her in as Toni smiled.

"Hi." Toni smiled, "I brought you and Freddie some donuts." She smiled, walking on through to the kitchen as AJ followed.

"Why? You didn't have to." AJ laughed a little.

"Well, you know, things have been so crazy lately since you got back, I've… I've not even got a chance to tell you how… well, how happy I am that you're here again." Toni nodded, sitting the donuts down on the table as AJ smiled softly, "I mean you were like my daughter, and I know how much Phil cared about you, and that meant a lot to me." She said as AJ smiled, "And I'm sorry that you… you had to go through what you did with your father… being taken away like that." She said, "You done it to protect Phil and no one is mad at that."

"I just didn't know what my dad was capable of." AJ said, "And he scared me. I couldn't watch Phil go to prison, or Julio. It wasn't easy but it was the decision I had to make. They would have gone away for twenty years or more." AJ nodded.

"Something in my brain always told me that you leaving never felt right, same with Phil, but… I guess we just ignored it because it was harder to think about it." Toni said, "You're selfless, which is what every mother is." Toni nodded, "And you are still very much a part of this family, I hope you know that."

"Yeah I still feel the love." AJ smiled, "I just really want to get my life back. Get Phil better, get to know my daughter and be in her life, regardless of how much I've missed." She nodded, "I know it's not gonna be easy but, I'd take this over sitting in the north on my own just watching the days go by."

"I don't know how you did it." Toni shook her head.

"Me neither to be honest." AJ admitted truthfully, "Are you sure my dad and mom will stay away? What if they come back and we're not expecting it or… they go for Freddie again and he gets help from that group on the north-"

"No, they're gone for good. Julio was very persuasive." Toni said. She didn't like to brag, but she was a good liar, a persuasive liar, "They'll stay away now. And you can have your life back." Toni nodded as AJ smiled.

"Thank you." AJ nodded. She really appreciated Toni coming and checking up on her. She was like a mother to her back all those years ago, and to still be accepted into the family felt wonderful.

"Have you saw Phil today? I'm on my way just now." Toni said, walking on out of the kitchen and to the door as AJ followed.

"I visited him this morning." AJ said, "He's… he's still in a lot of pain. Any movement he makes is killing him." She sighed, "But he is looking brighter. It's just about building strength and healing now." She nodded.

"He's lucky." Toni nodded, "Very lucky."

"Yeah." AJ nodded in agreement, "I'll probably go see him again tomorrow or after work." She told her, "With Freddie if she's up to it." She said, glancing over to Freddie's room door.

"She at school today?" Toni asked.

"Yeah. She came home and went straight into her room." AJ nodded, "I don't think it went well. I'll give her some space before I ask her about it." She said as Toni smiled and nodded.

"Something tells me this mom thing won't be hard for you to catch up on." Toni said as AJ smiled softly.

"Well hopefully." AJ nodded.

"Ok I better get off and visit Phil. I like to go around dinner time to make sure he tries and eats something." Toni smiled as AJ just laughed a little and nodded, seeing her out of the apartment and closing the door over, looking on over to Freddie's room door, debating with herself on whether or not to go check in on her.

She figured she would give her some time to herself before checking in.

* * *

Later on that night, AJ was in the kitchen cooking dinner when there was a knock at the apartment door. Freddie knew it would be Rocky and immediately got up from her bed, running out of her room to make sure she was the one who answered it, preparing her resting bitch face as she swung the door open and saw him standing there.

"Hey." Rocky smiled to her as Freddie just glared back at him. She knew there was technically no reason for her to be mad with him. It wasn't like he'd lead her on or gave her false signals, but in a way, she wondered why he'd bothered so much with her and spent so much time with her as of late if he had a girlfriend, or what she assumed was a girlfriend.

"Hi." Freddie said, not moving out the way to let him in as Rocky looked at her.

"Can I… come in?" Rocky laughed a little as she looked at him bluntly, watching his smile fade.

"No you can't actually." Freddie told him as she looked at the puzzled expression on his face, "Slip your mind to tell me you had a girlfriend?" She asked him as Rocky raised a brow.

"I didn't think it was a big deal." Rocky shrugged.

"No of course you didn't." Freddie smiled sarcastically, "Why hang around with me so much if you have a girlfriend? Shouldn't you be hanging around with her?" She asked. She knew it wasn't her place to tell him who and when he could hang out with people but she felt hurt and confused.

"She's not really my girlfriend… she's just… why are you mad with me?" Rocky questioned suddenly, "What does it matter?"

"I just think it's strange. If I had a boyfriend I'd be spending my time with him and not some other guy."

"Well I thought we were friends." Rocky shook his head.

"So did I." Freddie said.

"So then why is it a big deal?" Rocky said, even though he knew why this had become an issue, he just didn't want to address it and neither did Freddie.

"It's not a big deal I just… think it's weird." Freddie said.

"So you want to stop hanging out with me?" Rocky asked her as she folded her arms.

"Well I don't want your girlfriend banging on my door one night getting pissed." Freddie said.

"She's not my girlfriend." Rocky said.

"So she's just a friend that you play tonsil hockey with? Is that it?" Freddie asked.

"Yeah, pretty much." Rocky nodded bluntly, "There's no strings."

"Well whatever, that doesn't make a difference to me." Freddie said.

"Are you mad because… you're jealous?" Rocky smiled a little as Freddie glared up at him.

"Jealous of what?" Freddie asked him with anger in her voice.

"Me being with someone else." Rocky said, "It's ok if you are." He said.

"You're such an ass." Freddie shook her head, "I'm not jealous, trust me." She lied, "Just stay the hell away from me." She sighed.

"Freddie, c'mon. I like spending time with you. Why is it such an issue?" Rocky asked.

"Because… you don't… you don't be there for me like that, be nice to me, be a shoulder to cry on and then forget to tell me that you have a girlfriend or… whatever the hell it is you have." Freddie said, "That's a dick move."

"What? You think I was leading you on?" Rocky asked.

"Well yeah, I do." Freddie nodded.

"So you do like me?" Rocky smiled as Freddie groaned, "Because I like you too."

"I don't like you." Freddie told him, "You're a dick and I don't want you to come near me ever again." She said. She didn't understand why he couldn't tell her that he liked her in the beginning, and not make her feel like an idiot.

"Freddie." Rocky sighed, watching her as she closed the door over on his face.

Freddie turned around and saw her mother standing awkwardly, "What?" Freddie shook her head.

"Are you ok?" AJ asked wearily as Freddie just nodded and then shook her head as AJ sighed, walking over to her, "What happened?"

"I'm fine. It's ok." Freddie shook her head, "It's nothing. He's just an idiot." She folded her arms, not really knowing if she felt comfortable with speaking to her mom yet, not about something like this.

"What happened at school?" AJ asked worriedly, "Did something happen to you?"

"No, I'm fine. Honestly." Freddie assured her, "I uh… I should go finish my homework." She nodded to her.

"Ok. Just… help yourself to dinner when you want." AJ nodded. She knew pushing Freddie to talk to her about anything wouldn't have been ideal, so she didn't, but she knew clearly something was upsetting her. She had a hunch on what it was and wished she could give her some advice, even though she wasn't sure what kind of advice would be useful.

Freddie made her way back into her bedroom, knowing there was only one person she could talk to and not feel scared or judged or worried.

* * *

"What'd I tell you? The male species are the worst." Punk said, lying in bed as Freddie sat on the chair by his bed later that night. She'd told her mom she was going to visit him and AJ happily dropped her off and agreed to pick her up.

"I just feel like an idiot." Freddie groaned to herself.

"Well you're not an idiot. He's the idiot." Punk said, "You could do better."

"You're just saying that because you're my dad." Freddie said.

"Maybe, but if he doesn't have the balls to straight up tell you how he feels to your face, and he's playing games with you then you need to cut him the fuck off." Punk said, "Or I will when I get feeling in my arms again." Punk said, watching as she just sighed. He could see she was really upset and he was upset for her, "Hey, listen babe. It's not the end of the world. Boys are gonna come and go, jerks, weirdos, hipsters, the lot of them." He said.

"I like him though. He's nice when it's just the two of us." Freddie said, "And I thought it was going somewhere." She shook her head.

"Why don't you talk to him?" Punk asked her, "Be honest with each other and see what happens." He said.

"I don't want to talk to him." Freddie mumbled, "I literally feel like an idiot. He's made me feel like an idiot."

"You're not an idiot, Freddie. He's the idiot for giving you mixed signals." Punk grunted, wishing he wasn't bed bound, "Have you spoke to your mom about it?"

"No, not really. She knows what is going on I think but… I just… I don't feel right talking to her about it. I know not many girls would wanna talk to their dad instead of their mom about boy problems." Freddie said.

"No, I get it." Punk nodded, "And so would she." He said, "Look, you want advice? Talk to him, be honest with each other and give him a chance. If he carries on bullshitting then kick him to the side and forget he existed, cause you don't need that and you don't deserve that." Punk reminded her, "Sometimes guys can go about things in the wrong way." He said, "So maybe he's just nervous or something."

"Or maybe he's a dick." Freddie said.

"That could be possible." Punk nodded in agreement, "Don't let the situation take over you. You're worth a lot more than boy problems, kid." He said, "You got a lot of good going for you now." He nodded.

"I know but… I liked him, and I thought he liked me." Freddie said.

"Maybe he does." Punk said, "I think you should talk to him." He nodded as Freddie sighed.

"I didn't think you'd encourage it." Freddie admitted.

"Well if you like him. And on the off chance, he might just not know how to go about telling you he likes you." Punk said.

"Were you a dick to mom when you asked her out?" Freddie asked.

"Well… no, not really." Punk admitted, "Not the point though, we all react to situations differently." He said, "To be honest, I'm kinda glad the height of your problems right now are about boys and not… finding your mom or getting kidnapped or anything like that-" He admitted.

"Yeah well this still sucks." Freddie sighed, it was the first time she'd really had a dilemma. She'd had teen crushes before, sure, but she'd never gotten close to anyone.

"Hey, as long as you stand your ground and your honest, then that's all you can do." Punk nodded, "I can give you a half ass hug if you need it." He smiled to her as she turned to him and sighed.

"I need one." Freddie nodded, shimmying over and sitting on the edge of the bed, wrapping his arms around him as lightly as she could as he slowly wrapped an arm around her.

"It'll work out the way it's supposed to." Punk nodded, kissing the side of her head.


	41. Advice Taken

**Advice Taken**

* * *

"How was he?" AJ asked, driving home after picking Freddie up from the hospital.

"He's ok. He was getting tired." Freddie said, "It's like he's an old man." She laughed a little as AJ smiled.

"Look, I… I think I know why you wanted to talk to him, and why you didn't want to talk to me." AJ nodded as Freddie turned to her, "I just want you to know it's ok if… if we're not there yet. Of course we aren't. It's like we've been flung in the deep end, and I know there's probably no one in the world you're gonna trust more than your dad." She said, "But I just want you to know that I am here to talk. I might not give as good advice as your father does but… I can still be someone you can talk to. I mean, I listen to people talk for a living." AJ said as Freddie smiled, "And for you I… I can listen whenever you need me." AJ nodded.

"Thank you." Freddie smiled. She was glad her mom understood and they were both on mutual agreements of where their relationship was. It was going good, really good, but there were still some unfilled cracks, "Well if you must know…" Freddie said, "I feel like an idiot for liking someone who has potentially just been messing with me." She shrugged as AJ kept her eyes on the road.

"Rocky?" She asked.

"Yeah." Freddie said, "He was with some other girl at school. And no, they weren't just friends, they were eating each other's face off." She grunted as AJ cringed.

"Kids do that in school?" AJ asked.

"More than anywhere else." Freddie rolled her eyes.

"Did he know how you feel?" AJ said.

"No." Freddie said, "But I… thought he did because we were spending time together, just the two of us, and he was there for me throughout all of this." She said.

"Sometimes we just… find it harder to tell people how we feel. Clearly he sounds terrible at it." AJ said, "Maybe you should talk, let him talk, I mean you won't get anywhere if you both ignore each other." She said, "And if he's still messing you around then slap him in the face and move on." She shrugged, "Or I'll slap him in the face, whatever you want." She said as Freddie turned to her.

"Similar to dad's advice." Freddie nodded, "I don't even know if it's worth my time."

"If you're honest with him and he is honest with you, and you can somehow figure it out with what's going on with you both then… that's a good start. Not talking about it is just gonna mess with your head."

"Why should I have to be the one to say to him that we need to talk about things? Why can't he come to me and say hey Freddie, I think me and you should talk about some things." Freddie said.

"Because he's an eighteen year old boy who… doesn't know what to say." AJ explained, "There's a lot of them out there."

"How did you and dad start dating?" Freddie asked, placing her elbow on the car door and resting her head on her hand as AJ kept her eyes on the road.

"We were just casual friends in classes. I would always catch him staring, he would catch me." AJ said as Freddie made boking noises, "Hey, you asked." AJ laughed as Freddie nodded.

"Go on." Freddie said.

"He just came up to me one day and asked me out on a date." AJ shrugged, "That was it really." She laughed a little, "If anything it was me who struggled with opening up at the start. It's not easy. And he's been through a lot with his dad, I don't think he gets on particularly well with his mom, it changes people, makes them wearier of their feelings, makes them want to protect themselves from getting hurt." AJ nodded as Freddie nodded slowly, knowing that to be true.

"Yeah, you're right." Freddie sighed.

"If you really like him, tell him." AJ nodded, "And if he really is just messing with you then… there's a lot more fish in the sea." She smiled as Freddie just nodded.

"You're right. There is." Freddie nodded as AJ pulled up outside the apartment block, "Thanks." Freddie smiled sweetly, appreciating the words her mother had given her more than anything. It made her feel like she could talk to her about more personal things instead of only trusting her father.

"It's ok." AJ smiled, getting out of the car as they headed into the apartment block, walking up the stairs when Freddie paused, seeing Rocky standing outside the apartment leaning against the wall almost sleeping standing up. AJ smiled to herself a little and scooted by them, "I'm still watching you." AJ warned Rocky, opening up the apartment and walking on in, closing the door behind her as Freddie stood as far back from Rocky as she could.

"How long have you been here?" Freddie asked.

"An hour or two maybe." Rocky told her, "Where were you guys?"

"Visiting my dad." Freddie said.

"How's he doing?" Rocky asked her politely.

"As good as he can be right now." Freddie nodded, "Why are you here?" She asked him.

"Well I wanted to apologise to you." Rocky said, "I'm… I'm not used to telling people how I feel. That girl I was with, she isn't my girlfriend, she's just… I don't know what she is-"

"Someone you have sex with?" Freddie assumed.

"Yeah, and that's it." Rocky said.

"That's it? Oh, ok." Freddie laughed to herself, "That clears things up."

"No, I mean I don't care about her. Not like I care about you. And I didn't tell you because I didn't know how. I don't care about that other girl. It's meaningless." Rocky said, "But I know I care about you, and I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings or I gave you the wrong impression or… more so no impression." He said, "But I do like you. A lot." Rocky nodded as Freddie folded her arms.

"Yeah, well I like you too." She mumbled, scuffing her foot against the floor and looking down.

"So can we maybe go out some time?" Rocky asked, "Not just to be pals." He said, "If you want." He said as Freddie smiled to him and nodded.

"I'd like that." Freddie nodded.

"Ok." Rocky smiled, "I will… text you." He said, "I'll let you get in." He said, stepping aside from the door, closer to her as she smiled up at him, "Goodnight." He said, leaning in and kissing her cheek as Freddie raised her eyebrows and smiled, watching as he walked off down the block stairs, walking on into the apartment and closing it over as AJ walked out from in the kitchen.

"So when is the date?" AJ smiled, judging by the look on Freddie's face, it looked like they'd talked things out.

* * *

"She's really excited." AJ smiled, sitting by Punk's bed the next day as they discussed their daughter's current happenings with each other. It was bizarre for Punk to be in a position where he could talk with AJ about their daughter. It was nice.

"I'm still not a fan." Punk admitted, "I like him but… I get bad vibes from him, don't you?" Punk asked her.

"He's fine." AJ shrugged, "He seems to like her, I mean he's been there for her over these past few weeks." She nodded, "I think it's good that she's doing this and not letting anything that happened affect her." She said, "I mean she could have shut everyone out, closed her door and kept it all in but she's not letting it take over her."

"Yeah well she's tough." Punk said, "Really tough." He nodded, "I just don't want him to be an ass to her. He already has been. As soon as I'm out of this bed, I'll go for him-"

"You won't go for anyone." AJ tutted, "She's gotta have a first boyfriend at one point. She's eighteen. We had a baby when we were her age."

"Look how that worked out." Punk mumbled as AJ just made a face, "I just don't want her to think having a boyfriend is the only important thing in her life. She's got school, college, she said she wants to get a part-time job for money… she's got things she wants to do."

"She can do it with a boyfriend." AJ said, "I know it's hard for you, you're a lot closer to her than I am and she's your little girl." She smiled, "But she's… well she's kinda grown up now."

"It's so sad." Punk sighed as AJ smiled, "So things have been pretty normal then?" He asked her.

"Yeah, pretty much. Your mom came around with donuts for me and basically told me that she was glad I was back and how sorry she was for not spotting anything wrong with me leaving so abruptly." AJ said, "It's no one's fault but my dad's and my mom's. I'm just glad that I can see my daughter now. I know it's late but… I feel we're getting along ok. To be honest it would have been harder if she was like 7 or 8. We can understand each other well." She nodded, "And I'm… I'm glad I can see you again." She smiled, placing her hand over his and rubbing it softly.

"I'm glad you're here." Punk nodded with a smile, "I missed you a lot. Pretending I didn't was the worst." He said as she smiled, "I should have… I should have looked for you, questioned things sooner-"

"No, we're not doing that." AJ said, "I left and you had a right to believe I left because I wanted to. And you carried on and raised Freddie. I could never be mad at you for that." She shook her head.

"We should have raised her together." Punk said, "We barely got any time." He shook his head as AJ nodded.

"I know." She said. It hurt her every day that she hadn't been able to be a part of their daughter's life and Punk's life in the past eighteen years. She missed those special moments. The first steps and words, the birthday parties, the haircuts and Christmas mornings, the school runs, the homework helping and everything else minor and major in between. It broke her heart that she had missed it all but she tried to focus on the positive, and that she was here now, finally, and they could build on something again.

"We can make it work, can't we?" Punk asked her.

"Yeah, we can." AJ smiled and nodded, "I know it's late but… there's still so much time, and I can still be there for her, and you." She nodded, "We've got all the time." She said as he smiled.

"Keep an eye on Rocky for me." Punk told her, "Maybe you could even follow them along on their date-"

"Phil." AJ narrowed her brows.

"What?" Punk shrugged.

"She'll be fine." AJ smiled, "I'm sure she'll have a great time."

"Still… just keep your eyes open." Punk told her as AJ just nodded and smiled to keep him sane.


	42. A Long Way

**A Long Way**

* * *

" _Ok, you got everything?" Punk asked, crouching down in front of his daughter on her first day of school, watching her as she looked around at all the other kids and their parents. He could tell by the look on her face, she was not happy about this set up._

" _Can you come with me?" Freddie whispered to him._

" _No I can't come with you." Punk shook his head, "Daddy goes to work now, and I'll pick you up when you're done." He told her._

" _But I don't wanna be all alone." Freddie told him, shuffling as close to him as she possibly could._

" _You're not gonna be all alone, baby. You'll get to make friends here, and learn really cool stuff." Punk nodded, "It's not so scary once you get in." He nodded._

" _What if I don't make friends?" Freddie asked him._

" _You will." Punk nodded, looking around at all the other parents dotted around dropping their kids off at school. He was well aware he was the youngest parent there. Some dads even had grey hair. But it didn't intimidate him. He done his best by Freddie every day and he was just as good a dad as anyone else standing around watching._

" _I might not." Freddie said, "I don't know these people." She sighed._

" _I know but you'll get to know them. When I started working in the parlour, I didn't know anyone and I didn't know if I'd make friends, but I did eventually." Punk nodded, "You're gonna be fine." He said._

" _You don't know that." She narrowed her eyes at him. She for sure kept him on his toes, and she was the most adorable little thing ever. Saying no to her was the most difficult thing he had to do from time to time. She'd become his whole world, and only she was the person who had kept him going._

" _I do." Punk nodded, "You're gonna be just fine, you know why? Because any little kid here is gonna be so lucky to have you as their friend." He said as Freddie held onto her backpack straps and looked at him, "Just be friendly, introduce yourself to some people, don't be afraid, ok?" He said._

" _I'm not afraid." Freddie said stubbornly._

" _I know you're not." Punk smiled, "You should go on in now." He told her as Freddie sighed a little, "Hey it won't be long until I'm picking you up." He said, "And maybe… we could go for pizza after."_

" _Yeah, we should do that." Freddie agreed, "Ok." She sighed to herself, "I'll see you later, daddy." She said, patting his hand and walking off down the yard to reach her teacher who was waiting._

 _Punk smiled as he watched her head on into the school, looking around as he saw a lot of parents together, giving their children a hug, as a family. He was sad that Freddie didn't have that, and he was sad for himself selfishly, that they couldn't have moments shared like this, but he couldn't change any of that. He just tried to focus on being the best dad he possibly could be._

* * *

"So… how was it?" Punk asked.

"How was what?" Freddie asked, looking up at the TV in the room, sitting on the chair beside Punk's bed.

"Your date." Punk said as Freddie just nodded.

"Yeah, it was alright." Freddie said casually, trying not to go into too much detail. A week had gone by and she had been on a date with Rocky to Punk's horror, "We just went to the movies." She shrugged.

"Did he pay?" Punk asked.

"No. I didn't expect him to. That's rude." Freddie said, "He did offer though." She nodded.

"That's ok then." Punk nodded. He was feeling physically better. He could move a little more freely in bed now and the doctors were even pushing him to sit up and out of bed every now and then to get his strength back. He was still in a lot of pain, but not as much as it had been, "How is your mom?" He asked her.

"Yeah, she's fine. She's been looking at places in the south to move to. Obviously you'll be getting home soon." Freddie said as Punk nodded, "Are you guys gonna be like… dating then?" Freddie asked him as Punk looked at her.

"I… I don't know." Punk admitted, "We'll need to talk." He said, "It'll be better once I can get out of here." He sighed. He was just frustrated above anything else. Frustrated that he couldn't really do much or move around a lot.

"Yeah." Freddie nodded, "She's really not how I expected." She admitted truthfully, turning the TV down and turning around to him.

"What'd you expect?" Punk laughed a little.

"I don't know. Maybe someone a lot more simple and hard to get along with." Freddie said.

"So you're saying she's not hard to get along with?" Punk asked.

"No, not at all." Freddie said, "It's like she's fit right in again."

"Well she had a home here. More of a home than she ever did with her parents." Punk said, "She feels safe here so it doesn't surprise me. And she's really trying to be someone you wanna get to know." He nodded, "She's hard on herself. For missing so much of your life. She's really trying to make up for it."

"She doesn't need to be hard on herself." Freddie sighed, "It's not like it was her fault, and we have plenty of time now." She said, "I just can't believe she's here sometimes." She shook her head. It was still taking a lot for it to sink in, even with her mom around frequently.

"Me neither." Punk nodded, "Better than her not being here." He said as Freddie nodded, "So the date was a success then?" He asked her.

"Yeah." Freddie said.

"Is there a second coming?" He asked.

"Maybe." Freddie said.

"Where and when?" Punk asked as Freddie laughed.

"You're ridiculous." She said, "I don't know yet." She told him truthfully.

"You sit with him at lunch now?" Punk asked her curiously.

"You're so nosey." Freddie rolled her eyes, "No, I don't. I sit with Jenny and Lucy." She said as Punk nodded.

"Does he do drugs?" Punk asked.

"Dad." Freddie made a face, "No, he doesn't do drugs." She said.

"I'm just asking. You never know." Punk shrugged as Freddie just shook her head, "How is school?"

"Fine." Freddie nodded as Punk just looked at her wearily, "What? It's been fine, I swear." She laughed a little, "I uh… I'm seeing that school councillor you wanted me to see. She's actually more helpful than the therapist." She admitted truthfully.

"Well that's good." Punk nodded, "You see her during your free periods?"

"Yeah." Freddie nodded, "She's nice." She said as Punk nodded, "Mom has been helping too… you know, with my illness. She's been giving me tips, things to avoid, things to do… it's helped." She said.

"Good, I'm glad." Punk nodded, "Has Toni or Julio been around?"

"Yeah every now and then, just the way they normally are. Everything is slowly going back to normal somehow." Freddie said, "Which is good. We just need to get you home now." She smiled as Punk nodded.

"Yeah well I hope once I start moving around more they'll consider letting me go home." Punk said.

"They aren't letting you home until you can really get up and move around. You can only sit up right now." Freddie said, "I know you're frustrated." She nodded, "That's why I brought you some new comics. I'm pretty sure you've not read these ones, although it's hard to keep up with you." She admitted, pulling out some new comics from her backpack, sitting them on the bedside table, "I also brought you your headphones." She took out as Punk nodded and smiled.

"Thanks." Punk smiled, "You're too nice to me."

"I know. I need to stop." Freddie nodded as he smiled, "Mom said she'd stop by after work to see you." She let him know as Punk nodded, "I'm going to look at an apartment with her tomorrow. It's not far from ours, on the south, she says it's good money wise so… hopefully it's nice for her to take it." She said as Punk nodded.

"Yeah she mentioned it yesterday." Punk said, "Is anyone questioning anything about AJ's parents?" Punk asked curiously. Sitting in a hospital bed, most of the time with no one to talk to, made his mind wander.

"What do you mean?" Freddie asked him.

"Well, they just disappeared, right? Julio said he made them leave and they won't come back but… as much as I trust him… how do we not know he's not gonna come back?"

"I think they roughed him up pretty bad." Freddie said, "And he had nothing against us anymore. All the videos were gone. I think he took the chance to leave whilst he could." Freddie nodded as Punk just hmm'd.

"Doesn't feel right." He said to himself.

"Don't worry about that. It's not important. It's over." Freddie said, "Everyone is doing their own thing again. You just need to focus on getting better and eventually getting home. Ok?" She said as Punk just nodded, "Have you been eating more?" She asked in a motherly fashion, trailing off into further conversation.

* * *

" _I didn't make any friends." Freddie sighed as she reached her father in the yard after her first day of school._

" _Well that's ok. It was only your first day. It might take a few days." Punk told her, taking her bag from her as she walked along the path with him, her shoulders hanging low, "It's ok. Everyone is nervous, right? You'll make friends soon." He said._

" _I didn't really like it." Freddie told him truthfully, "Do I have to go back?" She asked him sadly as they reached the car._

" _Yeah, baby. You gotta go to school." Punk nodded._

" _But I really didn't like it." Freddie gripped his hand, "How about I just come to work with you instead?" She asked him seriously as Punk laughed a little and helped her into the car._

" _No, babe. You gotta go to school. Everyone does. I did, and I didn't make friends on the first day, I don't think anyone really does. It'll take a little bit of time and you'll grow to like it. It'll get better." He nodded._

" _I don't know why you can't come with me." Freddie said. He was about the only friend she had at this point, so being separated from him really annoyed her._

" _Because no mommy's or daddy's are allowed. Eventually you'll love it, I promise." Punk nodded._

" _If you say so." Freddie sighed, "I really need that pizza right now." She sighed as Punk just nodded._

" _Yeah, me too." Punk said, kissing her head and buckling her in, closing the door over, about to get in the front when he felt a tap on his shoulder._

" _Hey, I think your little sister maybe dropped this." The woman said, holding up a superhero key ring that had been attached to Freddie's bag._

" _She's my daughter." Punk said, "And yeah, that's hers." He said, taking it from her and putting it in his pocket._

" _Oh, I'm sorry. I… well you look-"_

" _Young?" Punk finished for her, "Yeah, I get it." He nodded. She had to have been around his age and she was super pretty._

" _I was picking up my little brother. He wasn't really a fan." She admitted as Punk smiled and nodded._

" _No, she wasn't either." He nodded to Freddie in the car, "Thanks for picking this up, a lot of bastards would have just walked by it."_

" _Yeah I was gonna hand it into the school but I saw her with the superhero backpack and I figured it was worth asking." She said._

" _Well thanks." Punk nodded politely as she smiled to him, feeling her stare a little too hard as he just laughed to himself a little, "Do you uh… do you have a phone number?" He smiled to her as the woman came out of her daze and nodded._

" _Yeah." She smiled to him._

" _I suppose I should ask if you have a name first." He admitted as she laughed and nodded._

" _Shelly." She smiled, taking out her phone._

" _Phil." He nodded, exchanging numbers as she smiled and took her phone back from him, "I'll… give you a call then." He said, jumping a little when he saw Freddie knocking at the car window and pointing to the top of her hand to her invisible watch, clearly wanting him to hurry up._

" _Yeah I better let you go then." She said, walking off in the opposite direction as Punk smirked to himself and got into the car._

" _Who was that?" Freddie asked him._

" _Uh… no one." Punk shook his head, turning the engine on and pulling away. He knew that a relationship with another woman wasn't going anywhere positive, but it was nice to tell himself it would._


	43. Years Lost

**Years Lost**

* * *

"I didn't know we were going to your house." Freddie said, a few days later with Rocky who had led her to his house.

"Hey, if I gotta look your dad in the eye, you gotta come look my mom in the eye." Rocky told her as she gulped a little.

"Will she hate me?" Freddie asked, walking into the house with him, taking her jacket off and handing it to Rocky who hung it up.

"Only time will tell." Rocky smiled, "Hey, mom!" He yelled, "Where you at?"

"Kitchen!" A woman called from the kitchen as Rocky headed on down the hallway where Freddie followed. She tried not to be nervous and pretend she was so famously fearless, but she couldn't help the nerves if she tried. She'd never had a boyfriend, she didn't know what was ok to say and do when meeting a parent.

"Hey, mom. This is Freddie." Rocky announced as a woman turned around standing in the kitchen, glancing over at Freddie over the top of her glasses.

"Phil Brooks' daughter?" The woman asked, drying her hands on a dish towel and walking over.

"Yeah." Rocky said, "Freddie this is my mom, Geraldine." He said.

"Hi." Freddie said abruptly, extending her hand out as Rocky smiled to himself whilst his mother glanced at her strangely.

"Never in my life has someone from the ravens tried to shake my hand." Geraldine laughed a little, "Freddie. Here I was thinking it was a son that Phil and April had." She said as Freddie slowly drew her hand back into herself, "You're pretty. Like your mom."

"Oh, thanks." Freddie nodded.

"Heard she was back in town. How is she? Last time I heard about her she was screaming bloody murder and got locked down in a psych ward." Geraldine said, "That's what happens with teenage pregnancy." She hummed.

"She's fine." Freddie said a little more bluntly.

"Good. I'm glad." Geraldine nodded, "So you guys want food? It's Mexican night tonight." She said.

"I love Mexican." Freddie smiled. "Food. Not guys." She clarified as Geraldine smiled and Rocky palmed his face with his hand, "I do love Mexican people though, I just mean in this context… the food." She explained.

"Stop talking." Rocky said casually.

"Mhm." Freddie smiled and nodded.

"I like you." Geraldine nodded, "Maybe you can keep this one from being such a scrappy ruffian." She pointed to Rocky, "Takes it after his father in that respect."

"Yeah, ok mom. We'll take some food. We're gonna go upstairs." Rocky told her.

"Remember the springs on your bed squeak. So don't try anything." Geraldine warned, wandering back into the kitchen as Rocky groaned and pushed Freddie out of the kitchen which seemed to be getting warmer and more awkward by the minute.

"She's nice." Freddie said, walking up the stairs as Rocky followed.

"Yeah, to you. You should see her when she's mad." Rocky said, "Surprised you don't hear her from your place." He said, walking into his bedroom as Freddie looked around and took a seat on his bed, hearing the springs squeak.

"Oh, she wasn't kidding." Freddie said, jumping up and down on the bed.

"Yeah, ok. Quit it. She'll think something is going on." He laughed a little as Freddie paused and smiled.

"Not as pretty as my room." Freddie said, looking around the room.

"I think it's pretty." Rocky said as she stood up and began to look around, noticing the closet had some clothes peeping out of them, opening it up as she looked at the pile of clothes and rubbish that had been shoved in.

"Aw, you tidied your room for me?" Freddie laughed a little.

"By tidy, I shoved everything into the closet and closed it over." He said.

"That's good enough for me." Freddie shrugged, closing the closet back over as she saw him sit up on the bed against the headboard, "So don't tell me you brought me here to like… do homework." She said, walking over to the bed and sitting up beside him.

"I don't even do work in school, why would I do homework?" Rocky laughed.

"Oh, you're so cool. You don't do work in school." She exaggerated, "Oh, you're such a cool kid." She said as Rocky just tutted, "Seriously? What do you wanna do? Where do you wanna work when school is over?" She asked him.

"I have no idea." Rocky told her truthfully, "Maybe I'll just work in the owl behind the bar." He said.

"You wouldn't go to college?" She wondered.

"C'mon." Rocky laughed a little, "You wanna go to college right?"

"Yeah I wanna study art." Freddie said.

"Better watch out for all those really hot college guys, and teachers." He added as she laughed a little.

"I will watch out for them, you're right." Freddie nodded, "You worried?" She laughed a little.

"No." Rocky scoffed, "It's just a lot of new people you're gonna meet. Don't want you to forget about me or anything." He tried to tease even though he was being serious.

"I wouldn't forget about you." Freddie smiled, "You're hard to forget about." She nodded.

"Is that so?" He smirked as she nodded, looking at him and smiling, watching as he leaned forward. She'd never had a kiss before and she knew he had, which made it a little more daunting, but she didn't back away and just went with it, leaning into him and pressing her lips against his as he pulled her over on top of him, circling his hands around her back.

"Food is ready!"

Freddie jumped a little and pulled back as Rocky rolled his eyes and rested his head against the headboard.

"I am kinda hungry." Freddie admitted as Rocky nodded.

"Oh, we don't have a choice." Rocky told her as she just smiled, pecking his lips before getting off of him to head downstairs.

* * *

"She was going over to his house tonight I think." AJ said, sitting in the hospital room beside Punk's bed. She visited him as much as possible. It was hard to really get somewhere with each other when he was restricted in the hospital, but she came as much as she could and she knew it would get easier when he got to come home.

"To do what?" Punk shuffled around a little.

"To have dinner and watch a movie or something." AJ shook her head, "She didn't go into detail."

"Hmm." Punk mumbled as AJ just smiled.

"She's fine." AJ nodded, "Me and her went looking at this apartment not far away from your place."

"Yeah she said." Punk nodded, "You like it?"

"It's real nice." AJ nodded, "And it's close to you guys which makes it easier." She said, "I think I'm gonna take it."

"As long as you're absolutely sure." Punk said, "I mean, ideally I'd want you to stay with us but ideally it's… probably not the best idea right now."

"Yeah I think we should give ourselves some time, and most importantly Freddie." AJ said.

"Well she's oblivious to everything going on around her at the moment." Punk shook his head as AJ smiled.

"I think it's sweet. He's a nice boy." AJ shrugged.

"Sweet until he acts like a jerk and I have to hit him." Punk said.

"No you don't. It's nothing to do with you." AJ told him, "We're all that age at one point." She said, "She looks happy."

"I'll be the judge of all of that when I get out of this place." He said.

"Speaking of, when do you think you'll be out?" AJ asked him.

"My doctor is happy with how I'm doing. She wants to make sure I can move around a little more before letting me go home." Punk said.

"Well you know I'll be there to help you if you need me." AJ nodded.

"You'll help me in and out the shower?" Punk smirked.

"Nothing I've not seen before." She reminded him as he smiled and nodded.

"That's true." Punk nodded to her, "I was saying to Freddie… I'm not really at ease with the situation with your dad." He admitted truthfully.

"What do you mean?" AJ asked.

"I mean… your dad being told to go away… am I supposed to believe that?" Punk asked her.

"Well he was shown a pretty hard time. He was roughed up. And the video is no more so… him leaving was just him saving his own ass." AJ shrugged, "And it's not like he's anywhere to be seen, or my mom." AJ said, "I think he got as much time out of this as he could. Eighteen years of it."

"I guess." Punk nodded, "Just… something doesn't feel right." He said.

"A lot hasn't felt right in the past few weeks." AJ agreed, "But… things are calming down. Everyone is going back to normal life. Even me. I'm actually getting to know my daughter." She said, still in awe.

"And what are your opinions on her?" Punk smiled.

"Oh, she's the worst." AJ teased as Punk nodded, "I… I don't know what I ever expected her to be like. I tried not to think about it because it always just made me upset." She said, "But I guess I imagined her to be a lot like you, and she is."

"You think?" Punk said, "I think she's like you."

"It's a mix, I guess." AJ nodded, "I'm just glad I can actually be someone in her life now. As late as it might be." She said as Punk smiled.

"There's a photo album. Under my bed. It's got a lot of stuff in it from literally her birth to her eighteenth birthday spent in the psych ward. Have a look if… if you want to." Punk nodded to her as AJ smiled and nodded, even though she wasn't sure if she could face it.

AJ left shortly after to let Punk get some rest. He was getting settled for the night, picking a comic to start on out of the ones he hadn't read yet, when someone walked into his room.

He looked hard for a few seconds as he knew himself that he recognised the face of the woman, it suddenly coming to him very quickly once he remember, "Shelly?" Punk shook his head with confusion.

"Hi." Shelly smiled, holding a card in her hand as Punk looked on with confusion.

* * *

"Hey, what are you doing?" Freddie asked, walking into the apartment after getting home from Rocky's, noticing her mom sitting over on the couch with what looked like a book out in front of her.

"I'm… looking at these pictures." AJ smiled, dabbing under her eyes to make sure they weren't puffy from the crying she'd done whilst looking through the pictures.

"Oh, that old thing." Freddie smiled, kicking her converse off and walking over to the couch.

"How did it go at Rocky's?" AJ smiled to her.

"It was ok. His mom is a little scary." She laughed a little.

"Geraldine? Yeah she's crazy." AJ nodded, "Sweet though."

"Oh, I remember this picture." Freddie smiled, collapsing down beside her closely and looking on at the pictures, "This was my… second birthday. Or third actually." She pointed at the picture of Punk holding her beside what looked like the monkeys in the zoo, "We went to the zoo, of course." She said as AJ smiled, "Oh, first haircut." She pointed to another picture of her screaming with her hands on her hair.

"You don't look happy about that." AJ laughed a little as Freddie nodded, flicking onto the next page.

"First hawks game." Freddie nodded as AJ looked at the picture of Freddie on Punk's shoulders, both wearing red hawks jerseys, "My fifth birthday party. Dad took me, Jenny and Lucy bowling. That was the first and last time he took the three of us out in public." She laughed to herself as AJ smiled.

"Who is that?" AJ asked, noticing a picture of Freddie and Punk with a woman sitting beside Punk in it. She didn't recognise her as part of the family or even in the ravens.

"One of dad's girlfriends probably, I don't know." Freddie said, uninterested as AJ nodded slowly and stared at the girl in the picture, "Oh, this was when I got my first bike and fell." She pointed as AJ smiled. It was a picture of Freddie sitting up on the kitchen counter in Toni's house getting her grazed knees cleaned by Punk.

They flicked through the album, going through different birthdays and special events, all the way up to her eighteenth.

"Glorious eighteenth birthday." Freddie nodded, looking on at the picture of her in the psych ward with Punk holding up her pens and looking as pale as a ghost.

"You looked better than I did in there." AJ smiled.

"I think you had more on your mind." Freddie admitted as AJ looked at the photo album.

"I'm so sorry I wasn't here for this." AJ shook her head sadly as Freddie turned to her, "I-I missed so much of your life. I… I'm so sorry." She turned to her as Freddie saw her eyes were teary.

"It's… it's not your fault." Freddie shook her head, taking the album and sitting it over on the coffee table, "Please don't be upset." She sighed as AJ shook her head and swiped her fingers under her eyes to catch the tears.

"I just… don't want you to think I… I was ok with missing your life. I wasn't." AJ shook her head.

"I know." Freddie nodded. She did know. Of course she did. She could clearly see how hard her mother was finding this, and that proved to her that she really cared, "I know you would have been here if you could. I know that now." She said as AJ nodded, "It's ok." Freddie said, wrapping her arms around her as AJ placed her hand on Freddie's arm, taking the hug willingly. It wasn't easy at all.


	44. Haunted Past

**Haunted Past**

* * *

"What are you doing here?" Punk shook his head with confusion.

"I heard you got stabbed." Shelly nodded, "I just wanted to see if you were ok." She said simply.

"I haven't… I haven't saw you in like 11 years." Punk shook his head, "How'd you find out?"

"Uh… word gets around." Shelly smiled, "It's just a… get well card." She said, passing it over to him as he nodded and took it from her, "How is things going? Are you getting out soon?" She asked him.

"Hopefully once I start moving around a little more." Punk said, moving the card over onto the stand beside his bed, "What made you… come see me?" He asked her.

"I just wanted to see if you were ok." Shelly said, "I know that we've not saw each other in a long time but… I would never have wished this on you." She said.

"You really didn't have to come see me." Punk told her. He thought it was nice of her to come check up on him but also a little bizarre. It wasn't like they were extremely close. They dated for little over a year but things ended and they never saw each other again. There was nothing else to it.

"I couldn't believe it when I heard. I thought someone was gonna tell me you'd died or something." Shelly shook her head, "How is Freddie?" She asked.

"She's ok. She's doing good." Punk nodded, "April is back, so she's staying with her for the time being."

"I heard." Shelly smiled, "Glad to have her back?" She asked as Punk nodded.

"Yeah, I am." Punk nodded, "I'm just glad Freddie can get to her mom finally." He said as Shelly smiled, "How are you doing? Did you get your master's in education?" He asked, remembering at the time he dated her she was going through the process.

"I did, yeah." Shelly smiled, "I'm a school teacher now. I actually got put for transfer to a school here in the south so I've picked up everything and moved here now, it's how I heard about you and what happened." She nodded.

"Makes sense." Punk nodded, "Well I appreciate you coming to check in on me but… I'm gonna be ok. I'll live." He smiled as she nodded.

"I'm glad to hear that." Shelly nodded, "I guess I… when I heard about it I got this weird feeling in my stomach." She admitted truthfully as Punk looked at her wearily, "Made me realise how much I still care about you." She nodded as Punk groaned into himself and looked across at her.

"Shelly." Punk shook his head.

"No, this isn't me trying anything I just… I wanted you to know, and I just wanted to make sure you were ok. Moving back here, it made me think of you again and then I heard about you in here… you've just been on my mind, that's all." She said as Punk looked across at her and nodded.

"I appreciate that but I'm not looking for anything… like that." He made clear to her as she nodded, "April is back. I'm trying to focus on getting out of bed again. It's just… it's not-"

"I know." Shelly smiled to him, "I understand. I just wanted you to know, that's all." She nodded.

"Yeah, well it's appreciated. You didn't have to come check on me so it was nice. And it was good to see you." He smiled politely as she smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, you too." She nodded.

* * *

"She was really upset last night." Freddie said, sitting at school in the cafeteria with Jenny and Lucy.

"Why?" Jenny asked.

"She was looking through the photo album my dad has. It's got like all my birthdays, special occasions in it… she just started crying." Freddie sighed, "I feel so bad for her. I mean it's different for me. Sure I've missed having a mom but, I can get used to her and get to know her… she's missed me growing up, becoming who I am." Freddie said, "If anything it shows how much she really does care." She said.

"I don't get why her parents did that to her. Made her choose and then keep her like a prisoner for eighteen years." Lucy shook her head, "It's just horrible."

"I know." Freddie said.

"When your dad gets out of hospital do you think they'll like… start dating?" Jenny asked.

"I don't know." Freddie shook her head, "You know what, if they want to and it's not causing any trouble or it's not putting any strains on anything, I really don't care what they do. I just… want to have a mom and dad." She nodded.

"At least it's going in the right direction." Lucy said, "Your dad will get out soon, and you said your mom really liked a place not far away from yours?"

"Yeah, I think she's gonna get it and start moving her things in." Freddie nodded.

"Well that's good." Lucy nodded.

"How was Rocky's?" Jenny asked with a smirk as Freddie just shrugged.

"It was fine." She laughed a little.

"Did anything happen?" Jenny asked, leaning forward a little.

"No, nothing happened." Freddie laughed, "Well, we kissed." She nodded, "But that was it." She said, "His mom is nice but so hard to keep up with. I think she likes me, I'm not sure." She said as Jenny and Lucy smiled.

"When are you going out again?" Lucy asked.

"He's coming over tonight. Mom is working late at her office and then she'll probably swing by to see my dad so… we've got the place to ourselves." Freddie nodded.

"Oh, really?" Lucy smiled.

"Yeah, to watch movies and eat pizza." Freddie said, "We've all been dating barely a few weeks."

"He must really like you if he's willing to wait." Lucy nodded as Freddie looked at her.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Freddie asked.

"Well, we all know he's got quite the track record." Jenny said as Freddie sighed and turned around, looking over at the table Rocky was at where he was sitting with his friends.

"You guys think he's just with me for… that?" Freddie turned back to them.

"No, I'm saying the opposite." Lucy said, "He obviously likes you if he's waiting around." She nodded, "Hey, girl. Keep him waiting. The longer the better, I say." She nodded, "Keep him humbled."

"What if he tries anything and I… I don't want to-"

"Then you straight up tell him." Jenny nodded, "Slap him if you have to."

"He'll understand and I'm sure he wouldn't try anything without asking you. I don't think he's that much of a scumbag." Lucy said.

"Well nice to know how you both feel about him." Freddie said.

"He's always scared me, you know that." Jenny said, "On the bright side your babies will be half serial killer vibes, half angel Puerto Rican vibes." She nodded as Freddie rolled her eyes.

"He doesn't look like a serial killer." Freddie defended.

"He does a little." Lucy nodded, "But like a hot one."

"Oh, that's ok then." Freddie nodded sarcastically, "I forgot about the whole… sex part." She admitted truthfully as they looked at her.

"You don't want to have sex with him?" Jenny asked.

"I do. I just… I don't know what the fuck I'm doing. And clearly he does." Freddie rolled her eyes.

"Don't let that put you off. It's when you want to, not when he decides. It's a mutual thing, right? And I'm sure he'll be decent enough to take it slower." Lucy said.

"He looks like he's got a big dick." Jenny nodded as Freddie stood up.

"I hate you both." She shook her head as they laughed, watching her walk off to go put her rubbish in the trash.

* * *

"Where is your mom?" Rocky asked, sitting in the apartment with Freddie as they went through the second movie they'd picked out.

"She's working and then visiting my dad." Freddie nodded, sitting beside him with the bowl of popcorn sitting on her lap. Every time he moved his hand to dig into the bowl she got nervous as to what he was doing, and she started to realise that she was a lot more anxious than she thought.

"So are they like… together now?" Rocky asked her.

"I have no idea." Freddie shook her head, "I think they want to be, and I'm all for it but… I just don't want them to… rush into anything." She said, "Because rushing into things is not always the best, right?" She turned to him, specifically saying that line to him.

"Yeah, of course. But they've got a lot of history, right?" Rocky nodded, "Might not feel like they're rushing to them." He said.

"I know but it's still been eighteen years." Freddie said as Rocky nodded, "I know they still love each other, and I'm glad they do, but I just don't want them to ruin anything before it even picks back up." She said.

"Yeah, I get you." Rocky said, "Must be nice, though. To have your mom and dad now." He said.

"Yeah, well I'm still getting to know my mom. She's super easy to get along with but… she's pretty well kept together and she just seemed to lose it last night. She was upset looking through some pictures." She said, "If anything I can see how much she cares and how much it hurt her to stay away all this time." She nodded, "She's a good person." She smiled, "I'm glad she's here." She nodded truthfully as Rocky smiled.

"Me too but… I'm kinda glad she's not… right here, right now." He smiled as she looked up at him, sitting the popcorn over and smiling, watching him lean down and press his lips against hers as she kissed back.

She liked kissing him. She got a nice feeling, like excited butterflies in her stomach just like the previous night, and he didn't make her feel nervous. It was nice to exchange something intimately without it going overboard.

She placed her hand on his neck as he laced his fingers through her long, dark hair, his hand going down her arm as she began to become conscious of where it was headed, her mind starting to detach from the kiss.

She felt his hand go up her thigh and so she discretely brushed it away and continued to kiss him, but when she felt him do it again, it was like she had flashbacks of that night, in that apartment with all those men, in that bedroom fearing for her life. She freaked out.

"Stop it." Freddie pushed his hand away and stood up immediately, "Stop… stop trying to touch me." She told him angrily, running her hand through her hair.

"Woah, hey…" Rocky put his hands up, "I'm… I wasn't gonna do anything." He promised her, and he wasn't, he would never have without making sure she wanted to, he was just placing his hand there whilst enjoying the kiss.

"No, you were… you were trying to touch me." Freddie nodded, feeling short of breath as Rocky watched her with concern.

"Ok, Freddie… I think you should come sit down." Rocky stood up.

"I… I think I'm having a panic attack." Freddie nodded.

"Ok, ok… come sit down." Rocky nodded, guiding her back over to the couch, "I'm gonna go get you a drink, just… try and take deep breaths, yeah?" He said as Freddie nodded. She'd had panic attacks before as a younger teen, but they'd never came back, not until now.

Rocky emerged back with a drink and sat down beside her, helping her calm down before doing any talking. He didn't really know what was going on with her but he knew he had to help her and make sure she was ok.

Once her breathing went back to normal and she felt back in her body, having felt dizzy and nauseous before, she sat quietly beside him.

"Are you ok?" Rocky asked her.

"Yeah." Freddie said.

"Freddie I wasn't gonna do anything." He promised her, "I would never try and hurt you or do anything without you being ok with it. I'm not like that." He made clear as she turned to him.

"I just… keep thinking about that night." Freddie shook her head, "I wasn't before but… now it's like it's happening all over again."

"You went through a lot." Rocky nodded, "I don't expect you not to think about it. But you can get through it. Those bastards are gone. They can't hurt you. And I'm certainly not gonna hurt you." He promised as she looked up at him and nodded. She believed him, she just couldn't stop thinking about that night, she supposed it was a trigger, and it wasn't really anything to do with him.

"Can we just… watch the movie?" She asked, "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologise." Rocky shook his head, "Of course we can." He nodded, leaning back against the couch as she leaned into him and sighed. He still made her feel safe and it really was nothing against him, her mind just went back to that place, that night in that apartment, and she just wasn't prepared for any of it.

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks for the reviews! Taking a less dramatic road for just now but there's more to unfold and come!**


	45. Panic

**Panic**

* * *

"Hey, look at you." AJ smiled, walking into the hospital room where she saw Punk standing by the bed on his own after doing a slow lap around the room.

"He's an eager one." The nurse smiled, on standby whilst watching Punk slowly take his time around the room and back to his bed.

"That's a huge step." AJ smiled, sitting her bag and coat down as Punk got back into bed slowly. He was still in a lot of pain, but things were getting better and that was the most important thing.

"It is." The nurse nodded, "Keep that up and you'll be out of here real soon." She smiled, leaving the room as Punk got comfy in bed.

"Hey." Punk smiled to her.

"Hi." AJ smiled, "How does that feel?" She asked him, taking a seat by his bed.

"Sore." He admitted truthfully as AJ smiled softly, "But good. It's nice just to… move my legs." He shook his head as AJ nodded, "You just back from work?" He asked her. He could recognise her usual work attire. She'd wear simple dark dresses. She looked beautiful and he knew he was still very much in love with her.

"Yeah. I came straight here. I knew that Freddie was having Rocky over so I thought I'd stay out the way for a little while." AJ nodded.

"What's been going on with them?" Punk wondered curiously.

"Uh… nothing much. I don't think. Just dating, I guess." AJ nodded, "She seems happy." She said.

"They having sex?" Punk asked her.

"Why would I know that?" AJ laughed a little.

"Maybe she told you." Punk shrugged.

"No, I don't think she'd tell me or anyone." AJ said, "It's only been a few weeks."

"We had sex on our first date." Punk looked at her bluntly as AJ rolled her eyes.

"We're idiots, though." AJ concluded.

"Possibly true." Punk said, "I just… I don't know, she's always been good at not doing things because other people are, in fact she's always tried to not fit in with people as much as possible but I don't want her to feel like she's gotta do anything… it's weird, I know but… I worry about her." He admitted.

"I know you do." AJ nodded, "She's fine. And it's… her decision whatever the hell they end up doing. From my point of view, it just looks casual right now." She said as Punk just nodded slowly, "Is this a new card?" She asked, noticing the get well soon card, picking it up as Punk moaned to himself a little, "Shelly? Who is that?" AJ wondered.

"Uh… just… some girl." Punk nodded.

"Some girl?" AJ laughed a little, "Well that narrows it down."

"I… we dated a few years back. A lot of years back." Punk said as AJ nodded slowly, "Probably the only lengthy relationship I had."

"How long?" AJ asked.

"Over a year." Punk said, "She's recently moved back into town and she said she heard about what happened and wanted to see if I was ok." He said, ignoring the part where Shelly had pretty much told him she still thought about him.

"Well that's nice." AJ nodded calmly, even though she did feel jealous and a little annoyed, but she knew it wasn't worth it.

"Yeah, she didn't have to do that." Punk shook his head.

"Why did you split up?" AJ asked him, sitting the card back over.

"Well she found it hard with me having Freddie. We didn't really get a lot of alone time. And then she was pretty busy getting her degree. I just thought it'd be best to break up."

"You broke up with her?" AJ asked.

"Yeah. It was for the best. Wasn't working out." He said as AJ just nodded.

"Did you love her?" AJ asked him.

"I cared about her, yeah." Punk said, "She was a nice girl, sweet, funny, and we had a good time but… well she just wasn't you." He shrugged as AJ smiled to herself.

"You don't have to say that just because you feel you need to or because I'm here." She said.

"No, it was how I felt." Punk said honestly, "From then I just… started to have one date relationships." He laughed a little, "Nothing good ever came out of anything."

"One date relationships." AJ laughed to herself, "You can just say a one night stand, I'm not gonna judge you." She smirked as he just nodded.

"What about you? Stay single for eighteen years?" Punk smirked.

"Would you believe me if I said yes." She smiled as Punk's smile faded a little, "One night stands, sure. I'm human. But… never got interested in dating. I was… just never in the right head space." She shook her head.

"So you just had sex with random guys?" Punk asked.

"Yes, like a slut." AJ nodded sarcastically as he just smiled, "No, they weren't random. Not completely anyway." She said.

"Well maybe it's a sign." Punk shrugged as AJ smiled.

"Maybe." AJ nodded, "All I know, things are actually going ok. I'm getting that new place on this side of town. My daughter is letting me into her life. Me and you are…" She paused, looking over at him, "Well actually I don't know what me and you are, or what we're doing." She admitted truthfully. They still hadn't talked about what they actually wanted.

"What do you want?" Punk asked her.

"I want… us to be… us again." She said, "Saying we can pick it up where we left off has expired at this point. We were kids with a baby the last time we were in a relationship but… maybe this time, in a way, we can… take things a bit slower." She nodded, "But I… of course want to make it work. I've missed you. A lot." She nodded, taking a hold of his hand as he nodded.

"I'd like that." Punk nodded to her as she smiled.

"I looked through the photo album you told me to. Besides it making me sob like a baby… I… I loved looking at all the pictures, me and Freddie looked at them together." AJ nodded, "And she hugged me." She nodded, "I didn't think she would be this accepting of me, to be honest."

"Well she knows none of it was your fault. If it was up to you, you would have been there for her, she knows that. Like you said before, maybe it's a blessing in disguise that she's older, because she can understand better to what a younger kid would." He said as AJ nodded.

* * *

She stayed in the hospital for a little while longer before leaving Punk and heading back to the apartment. On her way out of the hospital however, she never noticed she had been watched intently all the way to her car.

She drove home and walked into the apartment where she saw Rocky coming out of Freddie's bedroom.

"She fell asleep on the couch." Rocky cleared things up immediately, "So I put her in bed." He said as AJ just nodded slowly.

"Ok." AJ smiled to him.

"She uh… I feel pretty bad telling you because it should be her place to say but… I'm worried about her, she had like this panic attack earlier." Rocky said.

"What? Is she ok?" AJ shook her head.

"She's ok now. We were… kissing." He said, scratching the back of his neck, "I swear I didn't do anything, I put my hand on her lap, she freaked out. Said that night she was taken was just replaying in her head." He said as AJ sighed, "I just thought you should know. I'd hate for her to feel isolated."

"Thank you for telling me." AJ nodded, "I'll see if she wants to talk about it tomorrow." She said as Rocky nodded.

"Yeah ok." Rocky said, "How is Phil doing?"

"He was walking around tonight." AJ smiled and nodded, "So yeah, he's doing pretty well. He should be home soon." She said.

"That's good to hear." Rocky nodded.

"Yeah, not for you. He's gonna have his eyes on you at all times." AJ teased as Rocky nodded.

"I figured. I'll prepare myself then." Rocky said as AJ smiled, "I do care about her. I'm not messing around or anything." He told her as AJ nodded.

"You don't have to say that. I believe you." AJ said, "If you're willing to be patient and deal with what she's got going on, you're good in my eyes." She smiled, "And Phil will think so too. If he didn't think you were good enough, he'd have found some way to not let her go out with you on one date, never mind others." AJ said.

"He's a lot to live up to." Rocky said as AJ laughed a little.

"As long as you're treating Freddie right, he'll not have a problem with you. In fact, I think he secretly likes you." AJ nodded.

"You think?" Rocky smiled as AJ nodded.

"Don't let it get to your head though." AJ teased as Rocky just smiled, "Thank you for telling me about Freddie. Shows me you're concerned and you care." She nodded, "She went through a lot that night and certain things could act as a trigger for her in remembering it all. So don't go thinking it's anything you've done."

"At first I thought it was." Rocky admitted, "But she came around and we just watched the rest of a movie and then she fell asleep. It was like she couldn't breathe. She said she got panic attacks when she was younger… I don't know anything about it." Rocky admitted.

"No… me neither." AJ admitted shamefully as Rocky sighed.

"Well I'll let you get in and I'll head off." Rocky said, grabbing his jacket as AJ nodded and saw him out of the apartment.

* * *

" _I'm here to pick up Freddie Brooks. The school phoned me told me she was in medical." Punk stood at the school office._

" _Oh, yeah. This way." The school secretary walked down the corridor as Punk followed into the small medical room where Freddie was sat with a cup of water._

" _Hey." Punk sighed, looking on at his thirteen year old daughter, crouching down to her. She looked pale and sad, and he was wondering what had happened to her, "What happened?" He asked as Freddie stayed quiet._

" _I think Freddie had a mild panic attack." The school nurse nodded as Punk turned to her, "She was lost for breath, close to fainting, and in the middle of giving a presentation." She said as Punk turned back to Freddie who took a sip of her water._

" _Are you ok?" Punk sighed, cupping her cheek as Freddie just nodded, "Can I take her home?" Punk turned to the nurse, even though he planned to take her home anyway._

" _Yeah. She's had a long morning. Here at the school we can keep a closer eye on her now if that's something she's prone to." The nurse said as Punk just nodded._

" _Ok, c'mon, sweetheart." Punk stood back up straight, taking her school bag and leading her out of the medical room and out of the school to their car, getting on in as she sat quietly in the passengers seat, "Freddie, talk to me." He said._

" _About what?" Freddie asked him._

" _Do you feel like this all the time?" Punk asked her._

" _Not all the time." Freddie shook her head, "It just happens sometimes." She told him, "I just got nervous." She said casually as Punk sighed._

" _You had a panic attack. That's serious." Punk nodded, "But we can figure it out and help you." He said, turning the car engine on, "There's tons of ways to deal with anxiety like… meditation, controlling your breathing, visualisation." He told her as she listened to him talk about the ways to help her situation. Even just the sound of his voice made her feel so much more at ease, and he always had a solution for any problem she had, or he always tried to find one for her at least._


	46. Start A War

**Start A War**

* * *

"Morning." AJ smiled as she watched Freddie enter the kitchen, rubbing her eyes and heading over to the fridge, "I already got your cereal out." She pointed to the table as Freddie turned around, barely even noticing.

"Oh, thanks." Freddie nodded, wandering over to the table and sitting down.

"How you feeling?" AJ asked her, sitting down across from her, pouring some orange juice as Freddie just nodded.

"I'm ok." Freddie shrugged.

"Rocky told me about… your panic attack last night." AJ said as Freddie looked across at her, pausing her spoon in her bowl of cereal, "He didn't want to tell me, I could tell, but he was just worried about you." AJ defended for him, "He said you were thinking about that night, when you were taken by those guys." She said as Freddie just nodded.

"It's just when he… puts his hands on me." Freddie made clear, "I'm fine otherwise." She told her.

"The main thing is you aren't mad at yourself because of it. You went through a lot. And Rocky gets it, he's not expecting anything from you. He knows what you've been through." AJ nodded, "When did the panic attacks start?" She asked.

"I was like thirteen or fourteen. I'd just get nervous. Start hyperventilating. I'd get warm, agitated, just felt like my heart was gonna jump out of my mouth, and for no reason." Freddie said, "Dad helped me. I learned meditation. Done some visualisation stuff where I would… be able to imagine myself outside of whatever situation I was in, to calm myself down. It was around the time I also found art, which calmed me down." Freddie nodded, "I haven't had them since… until last night." Freddie said, "I haven't missed them."

"It's more common than you think." AJ assured her, "And it's totally normal for what you've gone through. All those things you done before to help, they'll still work." AJ nodded, "And you can talk to me about it… about how you're feeling, about that night." AJ nodded, "It's ok."

"I just don't want him to think I'm weak." Freddie shook her head.

"No one thinks that, certainly not Rocky. He looked really worried about you, that shows he cares." AJ nodded, "We can get through this." She said as Freddie nodded.

"Thank you." Freddie nodded quietly as AJ smiled and nodded. She'd waited so long just to be there for her daughter as best she could be.

"I thought maybe we could go to the mall or for lunch or something, since I'm off." AJ shrugged as Freddie looked up.

"Yeah." Freddie nodded with a smile. She couldn't describe how long she'd waited to be able to go shopping with her mom and not have to force her dad to go instead. It was a great feeling, and she truly felt loved and supported by both her parents.

* * *

"You aren't here to annoy me, are you?" Punk asked as he watched his mother walk into the hospital room.

"Lovely to see you too, Phillip." Toni shook her head, sitting down on the chair beside his bed, "How have you been?" She asked him.

"Better." Punk said, "I was walking around this morning. The more I do it, the quicker I'll get stronger." He said.

"Yeah well don't push yourself or nothing. Take your time." Toni nodded, "We'll need to have a welcome home party for you at the owl."

"Oh, go away." Punk scoffed as Toni smiled, "I just wanna get home and be there for Freddie… And April." He nodded.

"About that… what's going on with you two? I see she's got a place of her own on the South now." Toni said as Punk nodded.

"Yeah we're gonna give it a go." Punk nodded, "Take it slow of course." He said, "I think her and Freddie are getting along well too which helps." He said.

"Yeah they were… away to the mall. Freddie text me." Toni said, "It's… well it's nice to see, after all that's gone on. April is back where she belongs and everything is slowly but surely going back to normal." Toni sighed with relief as Punk smiled and nodded.

"Yeah." Punk nodded, "It's just about building things back up. My relationship with April included. It's not like we're strangers at all, we just gotta make up for lost times… I can finally give… we can finally give Freddie a family." He said as Toni smiled, "That means a lot."

"Of course." Toni smiled, rubbing his arm softly, "It's been unfortunate what happened, especially to April, if anything she proved she's a true member of this family… what she sacrificed for you and your father, to keep our name clean… she's a part of this family, she always will be." Toni nodded as Punk nodded with her.

"Yeah, she is." Punk said, "We can be a family now. Take it slow. Just like her and Freddie are, and surely things will… they'll star to make sense for once." He nodded as Toni smiled.

"Who knows if Freddie will even be around you guys anymore? New boyfriend and all." Toni winked.

"Stop. She's staying with me until she's at least thirty." Punk said as Toni laughed.

"You're a dreamer. It's good." Toni nodded, "I think they make a nice couple."

"Whatever." Punk just shook his head.

"She is eighteen. You had a baby at her age-"

"Well I don't want that for her. Look how that all played out for me." Punk said, "She's got talent. She's going to college to use it." Punk nodded.

"I know. I'm just saying." Toni put her hands in the air in defence, "He's a nice boy. Be nice to him and don't intimidate him."

"If he plays his cards right, I won't need to." Punk nodded casually as Toni smiled, picking up the card by his night stand and looking at it.

"Shelly?" Toni questioned, "As in… that girl you dated for a little while a few years back? A lot of years back?"

"Yeah, she just came by a few nights ago." Punk said, "Said she was back in town, missed me, was thinking about me." Punk raised his eyebrows, "Made me feel kinda awkward." He admitted truthfully.

"I bet." Toni made a face, "Little random." She raised a brow.

"Well she said she'd moved back here and heard I was in here. Said she just wanted to see if I was ok." Punk shrugged, "Not that random."

"Is she after something?" Toni asked.

"Mom, sometimes some people just want to be nice." Punk laughed a little.

"I know people, son." Toni assured him.

"I mean, I think she was maybe insinuating us getting back together but I told her AJ was back and she… she backed off. She was just being nice. She was always a sweet girl." Punk nodded.

"Too sweet for my liking." Toni shook her head, placing the card back on the night stand carelessly.

"You're just mean." Punk concluded.

"No. I can read people." Toni said, "You can't, apparently."

"She's a school teacher moved back into town who wanted to see if I was ok." Punk laughed, "What's there to read about her?" He asked as Toni just nodded.

"I suppose." Toni nodded.

"Speaking about reading people, though." Punk smiled to her as she looked across at him, "I'm offended you think you can lie to me, you and dad." He nodded as Toni tilted her head a little, "April's father. What happened?" He asked.

"What?" Toni laughed a little, "We sent him away. I told you-"

"No you didn't." Punk shook his head, "I'm not an idiot." He said as Toni looked at him, "So don't treat me like one." He nodded, "Where is he? Should I be worried?" He asked as Toni gulped.

* * *

"What did he look like?"

"He looked like a cripple in a bed. What do you think he looked like?" Shelly shook her head, peeling a banana as she walked into an office with a suited man following behind her.

"Did he mention anything about the dad?"

"Tom." Shelly looked at her boss, unstrapping her badge from inside her jacket, wearing normal clothing as undercover officers normally did, "If he did, do you think I wouldn't have told you by now?" She asked him as Tom just scoffed and sat down behind his desk.

"What did he say then?" Tom asked.

"Well I didn't get much of a chance to say anything. I had to make it believable that I was back in his life conveniently."

"Did he buy it?" Tom asked.

"Yeah, he did. He thinks I'm some innocent school teacher moved back into town. He's got bigger problems than me right now." Shelly laughed, "I saw the girl, April, leaving the hospital the following night. She's living with the daughter." Shelly nodded.

"Anything mentioned about the dad or the mom?" Tom asked.

"No." Shelly shook her head.

"I just find it way too convenient that this girl, April…" He pinned up a picture on the board behind him of April, "She shows up and then her father miraculously disappears. And then there's the death of that gang member from the north triangle. Miraculously has no ties to the murderer. And that night was the same night that Rick Mendez was last seen." Tom said, "Tell me I'm not being a typical gang hater."

"No, there's something going on." Shelly nodded, "There was something going on back when I actually dated him. He didn't open up to anyone. Cold as ice." Shelly said, "Fire in bed though." She whistled.

"Does that have input to any of this?" Tom raised a brow as Shelly just made a face, "I'm fed up of these bastards running the south and getting away with everything."

"If you think I'm gonna get inside information then I'm not… unless I'm branded with that tattoo." Shelly said.

"You can still be on that side. You can still be floating around. There's something off with it all. April shows up, her mother and father disappear completely, that boy's death on the north, Phil ends up stabbed twice…" Tom shook his head, turning around as he looked at the very busy board with strings and pictures and notes dotted around it, "We're gonna find out what they're hiding."


	47. Friendly

**Friendly**

* * *

"Fucking hell." Punk shook his head after Toni had just told him the real truth about AJ's father, "And now what?" Punk said, "Does AJ know?"

"No. No and you can't tell her. I know that she… hated his guts but… we don't know how she'll react." Toni said, "Your dad found it justifiable."

"He murdered him. In cold blood." Punk said, "My real dad, that was an accident. Ok, that was different. This is murder." Punk made clear.

"Rick is the reason you are in this hospital, the reason Freddie was almost hurt. What if something had happened to her? That was all his doing. He took April from you for eighteen years and he did with a smile on his face, all of it." Toni said.

"Yeah he's a bastard. I know that. But… but you can't just go kill someone because you feel it's the right thing to do." Punk said, "What if someone finds out? What about AJ's mom?"

"We really did send her away. Gave her some money. Told her that Rick had been sent elsewhere. She was too frightened to ask questions and left." Toni said.

"We're not these types of people." Punk shook his head, "We're not killers." He sighed.

"He did what had to be done. He was a threat. I mean, he could have had more video footage of that night locked away somewhere. Your father had to do it." Toni said.

"He didn't have to do anything." Punk shook his head, "Don't you think I wanted to kill him? For what happened? To Freddie… to me… to April." He said, "Of course I did, but I know it's not right." He made clear, "It's not what this group is like." He said as Toni nodded.

"I know that, but it's happened, it's done now and we don't have to talk about it." Punk said.

"I can't lie to April." Punk shook his head, "I'm not… I'm not lying to her about this."

"What if she freaks out?" Toni asked him, "I don't think you should tell her. The more people know, the more it becomes real-"

"It is real." Punk spat, "It's her dad. Whether she hated him or not, he's dead and she deserves to know." He said as Toni sighed, "This is what got us all here in the first place. When Julio killed my dad and thought it'd be better to bury the body and pretend it didn't exist-"

"Phil, you know that if we go to cops they just turn it around on us. We don't have the choice." Toni said.

"He had the choice not to kill Rick. But he did. That's murder. That's not self defence. That's going out of his way to purposely kill someone else." Punk shook his head.

"Look, I know it's a lot, I feel it too, but he's still trying to protect this family, and that's why he did what he did. Freddie was almost raped. Do you have any idea what would have happened to her?"

"I don't wanna think about that." Punk shook his head and turned away from her.

"It all would have been down to Rick. He got the triangle to help him. He planned for Freddie to be taken. And there was no way she was getting out unless someone, you, found her. You saw what was going to happen. That's your daughter."

"I know what you're trying to do here, and I'm warning you, stop it." Punk looked across at her, "Don't put these thoughts in my head just because you want me to agree with what he's done. Because I don't. Yes, Freddie could have gotten hurt and I would have been beside myself, but I think there's more suffering those people deserve than death." Punk nodded.

"Phil, I'm only trying to let you see it from his point of view. He was mad. Mad about what he did to April, to Freddie, and then to you." Toni said, "He was just upset."

"I'll talk to him when I get out of here." Punk shook his head, "And then he will come with me, and he will tell April what he did, because I'm not starting my life back up with her based on a lie." He made clear as Toni looked at him, "And if he doesn't comply and tell her, I will." Punk nodded, "Make sure he knows that."

"Phil." Toni sighed.

"You can leave now."

* * *

"Hey, your mom let me in." Rocky smiled, walking into Freddie's bedroom as she sat up watching as he walked over and climbed over her, sitting beside her in the bed, "How you feeling?"

"Better." Freddie nodded, "I'm sorry I freaked out like that last night." She said.

"Freddie you don't have to apologise to me." Rocky made clear, "I get it. I just don't want you to think I was trying anything-"

"No, I know you weren't." Freddie nodded, "I spoke with mom today about it. She's gave me some help on how to deal with it. It's nice to have someone else I can talk to, instead of always having to put the burden on my dad." She nodded, "And I can actually say I went shopping with my mom now." She said as Rocky smiled.

"I thought you hated shopping?" Rocky said.

"Yeah with my dad because he barely lets me look at anything. It's different with her." Freddie smiled, "It was nice."

"I'm glad you're getting along with her." Rocky nodded, "I just want to be clear that I'm not looking just to sleep with you. There's no rush. To be honest I just like spending time with you." He admitted truthfully as Freddie smiled.

"Thank you." Freddie nodded, "I do… want to, though." She said, "I just don't want to freak out on you again."

"It'll happen at one point." Rocky said, "When you want to." He made clear as Freddie smiled and nodded.

"Why aren't you nice to anyone else?" She asked him.

"What?" Rocky laughed.

"Well everyone always seems scared of you. I know Lucy and Jenny are." She said.

"They are?" Rocky laughed a little, "I don't know, I didn't think I scared people that much." He said, "I guess I'm just nice to certain people… well, mostly just you."

"Why just me?" Freddie laughed to herself.

"I don't know. You're different from everyone else. I'm doing everything in my power to make sure I don't scare you away like everyone else." He nodded.

"You don't scare me." Freddie looked up at him.

"Good." Rocky nodded, leaning down and pressing his lips against hers as she kissed back, cupping his cheek just as the door opened.

"Hey, I'm just…" AJ paused, "Oh, I'm sorry." She cringed as they both turned to her.

"Mom." Freddie groaned a little.

"No, it's fine. Carry on. I'm just… going to see your dad." She assured them, "I will be back though." She made clear, looking over at Rocky, "I'm still watching." She told him as Rocky nodded, watching as she left the bedroom as they laughed to themselves.

* * *

When AJ had arrived at the hospital she saw there was another woman in Punk's room. She walked in slowly, glancing over at her as she stood smiling with Punk. She was very beautiful, with dark hair and a gorgeous smile that even she could admire. She knew she wasn't a doctor though, which made her confused.

"Hi?" AJ said in almost a questionable tone as Punk sat up slowly and a little awkwardly.

"Hey." Punk smiled to her, "Uh this is… Shelly." Punk said as AJ turned to her, dumping her bag down and taking her coat off.

"Hi Shelly." AJ nodded bluntly as Shelly just smiled and nodded.

"You must be… April?" Shelly asked as AJ nodded, "Heard a lot about you. Good things of course." She nodded.

"And I've heard not much about you." AJ bit back, sitting down on the chair beside Punk's bed whilst Shelly stood at the bottom.

"I was… just being a friend." Shelly assured, "It's terrible what happened." She said.

"Yeah." AJ nodded.

The room stayed awkwardly silent for a few minutes until Shelly finally decided to leave, "Well I'll be off then." Shelly said, "I just wanted to see how you're doing and if there is anything I can do for you." She said as Punk just smiled and nodded.

"I appreciate that." Punk nodded to her politely.

"I'll see you around." Shelly said, making her way out of the hospital room as AJ immediately turned around to Punk and eyed him.

"I know what you're thinking." Punk nodded, "She's being friendly. I told her about you and us… she just wants to be a friend and help out." Punk shrugged.

"That's weird." AJ told him.

"It's not weird." Punk laughed, "You're just jealous."

"Of what?" AJ laughed, "I'm not jealous. I just don't think you can be friends with someone who you used to fuck. And it's also really random that she just shows up and wants to help." She said.

"It's not. She's really straight laced and simple. She just wants to be there. She's kind. A good person." Punk nodded.

"Sounds like you like her." AJ said.

"AJ." Punk said.

"What? I know women. This is how she starts her quest to get you back-"

"Well I'm not interested in her, I'm interested in you." Punk assured her, "I was still interested in you when I was with her years ago." He said truthfully, "So… you don't have to worry, and you don't have jealous."

"I'm not-" She made a face, "Jealous." She said as he smiled and shrugged.

"Well then it shouldn't be a problem." Punk smiled, "How was the mall shopping? Toni told me."

"It was nice. Although she spent like an hour looking at bras." AJ laughed a little.

"Because I normally give her two minutes." Punk said as AJ smiled.

"I think she… had a good time." AJ nodded, "Things are going well with us, but eh…" She paused as Punk looked over.

"What?" Punk said worriedly.

"She had a little… well not a little, she had a panic attack last night." AJ said as Punk raised his eyebrows, "She was with Rocky, they were… kissing-"

"What'd he do?" Punk sat up, hurting himself in the process.

"He didn't do anything. Be careful." She shook her head, "In fact, he's been really sweet. It was just a kiss, but she got… scared I guess, said she kept thinking about that night with those guys, sent her into a panic attack. He told me about it that night when he was leaving." AJ nodded, "So this morning we talked about it, she just said that night started replaying in her head, and she told me about the panic attacks she used to get." AJ said, "I can help her with that." She nodded as Punk sighed to himself.

"Is she ok now?" Punk asked her.

"Yeah, much better. I think shopping took her mind off of it, and we talked more about it, and I left her with Rocky there and they looked… like things were fine." She smiled, "So I think it'll be ok."

"You don't suppose… something happened that night that she's not telling us." Punk sighed.

"No. I don't think so. I think she would have said or we would have been able to tell by now. What she went through was traumatic enough to give her these flashbacks, in simple terms it's PTSD." AJ nodded, "But there's ways to improve from it and I'll help her as best I can." AJ nodded as Punk smiled.

"You two are becoming quite the team." Punk nodded and smiled.

"I think she really trusts me." AJ nodded with a smile, "And she likes spending time with me." AJ said, it was still surreal to say that.

"That's because you're a good mom." Punk whispered and nodded, "You always were." He nodded as AJ smiled and looked down, "She needs you, doesn't matter if she's eighteen or not, she still needs a mom and she's got one now. That makes me happy." He nodded.

"Makes me happy." AJ nodded with a smile, "So… is Shelly gonna keep coming back?" She asked him.

"I think so, I don't know." Punk made a face, "She's just a friendly person and wants to help, that's it." Punk nodded, "You have… nothing to worry about." He said, "Come here." He nodded as AJ folded her arms, "Come here." He laughed, nodding his head as AJ smiled and sat up on the edge of his bed beside him, leaning down as he pulled her along the way, placing his lips against hers as she kissed back, holding his chin whilst he cupped her cheek. It was nice to know he still chose her, and their love was still very much there.


	48. Watching

**Watching**

* * *

"So… is today the day?" Jenny asked, sitting across from Freddie and Lucy at the lunch table as Freddie turned around from looking over at Rocky.

"The day for what?" Freddie asked.

"Your dad coming home?" Jenny questioned.

"Oh." Freddie nodded, "Yeah, mom is picking him up this morning and taking him home. He's definitely ready for it." She smiled.

Another couple of weeks had gone by and Punk was finally coming home after a long time in hospital healing from his wounds. He was still in some pain but not as much as he had been, and he was making tracks on his own. She was so glad that he was finally getting to come home now.

"Are you having a little party for him?" Lucy smiled.

"Toni wanted to but my dad warned her." Freddie smiled, "So I think it's just going to be the three of us." She nodded.

"Well that's nice." Jenny nodded, "What about Rocky? He's not invited?" She smiled.

"He's watching his little brother." Freddie nodded.

"How is the anxiety?" Lucy asked her.

"It's ok." Freddie said, "Mom has been good helping me. She's a therapist so I guess she probably studied all of that." She shrugged, "I'm not thinking about it as much, especially not with him." She nodded.

"Well that's good." Jenny nodded, "We can all get a little spooked of new things, it's normal." She said.

"Yeah." Freddie nodded, "I think I want to… you know." She said, "But I have a problem." She told them.

"What?" Lucy questioned.

"I'm not… on anything, birth control wise." She said, "It's not like I could ever ask my dad to take me." She rolled her eyes.

"Ask your mom." Lucy shrugged, "She'll take you."

"I don't want to put her in that position." Freddie shook her head, "I'd go myself but I don't want it to be something I do secretly." She said, "Like I'm up to no good."

"Just ask your mom." Jenny said, "It's not like you're being immature. You're being the opposite actually. I'm sure she wouldn't mind. She's cool." She nodded.

"I don't know." Freddie groaned a little.

"Why don't you just ask her? Worst thing that happens, she says no and you gotta go yourself or ask your gran to take you."

"I am not asking Toni." Freddie rolled her eyes, even though she knew her gran would probably take her with no questions asked. She just didn't want it to be something she had to hide.

"At least you know you want to now." Jenny smiled, "You need to give us all the details."

"I don't need details." Lucy said.

"I'm not giving you details." Freddie rolled her eyes, "I don't even know when it'll happen. I don't want to overthink it but… it's been good the past few weeks, and I feel comfortable with him, not like at the start when I freaked out. It's good now." She nodded.

"Well I still want details." Jenny said.

"Well you're not getting them." Freddie shook her head as they just smiled and continued to tease her.

* * *

Freddie got home from school later on and saw her father was sitting up on the couch. It was so good to come home and see him there.

"Hey." Freddie smiled, sitting her bag down and rushing over to him, sitting down beside him and giving him a hug, "How are you?" She asked.

"Better now I'm home." Punk smiled, "How was school?" He asked. He was still on strict resting rules but he felt so much better just to be out of that hospital room and back at his own place again where he could see his family more.

"School was fine." Freddie said, "Is mom here?" She asked him.

"She is. She's in the kitchen. We were gonna just get pizza, you good with that?" Punk asked her.

"Obviously." Freddie smiled, "I take it she's moving into her new place officially tonight then?" She asked standing up from the couch.

"Yeah I think so." Punk nodded, "I'm surprised how clean you've kept the place." He admitted, watching her as she threw her jacket over onto the coffee table.

"Mom kept it clean, not me." Freddie corrected her, "Like one big happy family, huh?" She folded her arms as Punk looked up at her.

"Well let's not get ahead of ourselves." Punk said, "I am glad you're getting along with your mom. Means a lot to her." Punk nodded as Freddie just smiled.

"Yeah, well she's easy to get along with." Freddie smiled, "I'm glad you're home though. It's not been the same here without you."

"You won't be saying that in a few days when I start annoying you again." He said as Freddie just rolled her eyes and wandered off through to the kitchen where AJ was.

"Hey." AJ smiled, "How was school?" She asked. It was very odd for Freddie to come home to this very happy family setting that she really wasn't used to at all. She knew it wasn't necessarily the start of this new chapter in her life, considering her mom was going to be living elsewhere, but it was just nice to have her parents who clearly still cared about each other, also caring for her too, no matter if she was eighteen or not.

"School was fine." Freddie nodded, "You're staying for pizza later?" She asked.

"Yeah I am. If you don't mind." AJ smiled, sitting at the table doing some work and reports.

"Of course I don't." Freddie said, "He already looks so much brighter in there." She smiled.

"Yeah, I think just feeling the fresh air done him good. He's been in that hospital for too long." AJ shook her head.

"So you're going to your new place tonight?" Freddie asked her, taking a fruit bag from the fridge and opening it.

"Yeah. Well I'm all moved in anyway but… I'll still be over to help your dad out, and you're welcome to stay with me… if you want to." AJ nodded.

"That'd be nice." Freddie smiled to her, watching as her mother continued to write on her notes, figuring she'd just throw her question out there like her friends had said, "Hey can I ask you something?" She asked, sitting her fruit down as AJ looked up.

"Yeah, sure." AJ smiled.

"Could you… take me to the doctors?" Freddie asked as AJ raised a brow, "Birth control." She said as AJ nodded slowly.

"Uh… yeah, I can." AJ nodded as Freddie raised a brow and folded her arms.

"I… I didn't think it'd be that easy." Freddie admitted truthfully.

"Well it's not a god damn crime." AJ laughed a little, "I didn't have a mom to take me and look what happened… no offence." She said as Freddie nodded, "I'd rather you were careful."

"Oh… ok." Freddie nodded, "Well thanks." She smiled.

"It's ok." AJ said, "I'll make you an appointment." She said as Freddie nodded.

* * *

AJ stayed for pizza and made sure Punk was set for the night before she headed to her own place about five minutes down the road. She was glad to see Punk at home. He looked more at peace and a lot brighter which she liked to see.

Freddie headed to bed and Punk was just shutting everything off when there was a knock at the door. He waddled over to the door, still holding his side as he opened it and saw Julio standing.

"Hello." Julio nodded, stepping into the apartment, "Nice to see you back here up and moving around." He smiled as Punk just nodded and closed the door over.

"Yeah I was just heading to bed." Punk told him, "Everything ok?" He asked.

"Yeah, fine." Julio said, "I realise you now know about Rick. I wanted to wait to speak to you until you got home. I felt it was more appropriate." He said as Punk looked across at him, "Phil, I would advise you not to tell April."

"I knew you'd do this." Punk nodded, "She deserves to know. It's her dad. Whether she gets upset or not, she still deserves to know what happened." Punk said, "And I'm not keeping it from her."

"You have a right to feel like that, but the more people know, the more chance of things coming back to bite us in the ass."

"AJ is the reason me and you aren't already in prison, so don't act like she'd go blabbing to anyone. She's sacrificed more for this family than anyone else." Punk said.

"And I know that. I respect AJ. She is part of this family. Forever." Julio said, "But I did what I felt was necessary. This was a man who had this video of us, now yes we cleared it out but who knows if he had a copy somewhere else. He's also the reason you almost died, the reason Freddie was taken by those men. If I had a daughter, that would be my worst nightmare-"

"Yeah, well it was, but she's fine now so I don't think about it." Punk made clear, "I know what he did. I know he's a bastard but you can't convert to murder, dad. That's just proving all those people who hate us right. All those people who say we're scum, we're walking crime rates, you're living up to that now."

"You're acting like I'm a deranged serial killer." Julio rolled his eyes.

"I'm telling AJ." Punk made clear, "She deserves to know. Ok?" He said as Julio just put his hands up and nodded.

"Ok. You're right, she deserves to know." Julio nodded as Punk looked across at him, "Your mom told me that Shelly girl was back, trying to hit you up?"

"Yeah, well she's just being friendly and seeing how I am." Punk said.

"I liked her, she was a nice girl." Julio nodded, "Is AJ here?" Julio asked him.

"No, she's at her place." Punk said, "We're taking things slow, remember."

"You two don't know slow." Julio scoffed.

"I'm still mad with you." Punk made clear, "Don't think you can just forget about this. You were in the wrong here. At least with my real dad, it was an accident, but this is murder. You set out to kill him." Punk said.

"He was a threat and a danger to us. It's just as good as self-defence in my mind." Julio said as Punk just sighed and shook his head.

"You just need to calm down." Punk sighed, "I wanna focus on my family. AJ and Freddie. We can actually start building something now." He nodded, "That's all I'm interested in."

"And so you should be." Julio nodded, "The decisions I make are always to protect our family, Phil. You know that, right?"

"Yes, of course I do. Some of them are poor decisions though." Punk nodded as Julio just hmm'd to himself.

"You're right. You should be focusing on you. Now everything is back to normal." Julio said, "And if telling April is something you need to do then… that's ok."

"I was telling her anyway, whether you liked it or not." Punk told him as Julio just nodded.

"I know that." Julio said, "I should go and let you get some rest. You've clearly had a long day." He said as Punk nodded.

"Yeah." Punk nodded tiredly.

"I'm glad you're ok and you're.. back home." Julio nodded sincerely.

"Yeah, thanks." Punk smiled softly as his father patted him on the shoulder and left the apartment where he eventually wandered off into his own bed for the night thankfully.

Meanwhile as Julio left the apartment, Shelly sat over in a car with tinted windows watching Julio walk across the road and into his car. She was obligated to follow the every move of this famous group, particularly it's leader.


	49. Truth

**Truth**

* * *

"Are you ok?" Rocky asked, turning is head to Freddie who lay beside him in bed and smiled.

"I'm good." Freddie smiled, curling into him under the sheets, resting her head against the curve of his arm, "Where is your mom?" She asked.

"She works nights. And my little brother is at a friend's." Rocky nodded, "Wasn't weird, was it?" He asked consciously as she looked up and shook her head.

"No. No… it was great." She smiled and nodded, pressing a kiss on his lips and wrapping her arms back around him comfortably, "You've done this a thousand times, though. Right?" Freddie hummed, leaning against his chest as he tilted his head a little.

"I wouldn't say a thousand. I think I'd have a problem if that was the case." Rocky said as Freddie looked up at him, "Once or twice more like." He assured her.

"I bet they knew what they were doing." Freddie said.

"Does anyone ever know what they're doing when it comes to this?" Rocky laughed a little, "That's what makes it fun." He said as she nodded in agreement.

"I did have fun." Freddie smiled up at him, feeling his hands roam at her body under the sheets as she smiled, "But I have to get home." She told him truthfully.

"Oh, can't you just stay?" Rocky groaned.

"I'd get killed." Freddie laughed to herself, rolling over and sitting up by the edge of the bed, moving the sheets away as he watched her put her underwear on, leaning on his side and resting his hand on his fist.

"You know my mom works most nights." Rocky smiled as Freddie laughed a little, shimmying her jeans on and nodded.

"She does, does she?" She smiled as Rocky nodded.

"I'm just saying." Rocky nodded, watching her put her t-shirt on, "Yeah I definitely prefer you without that stuff on." He said as Freddie smiled.

"Of course you do." She nodded, "Is your mom working tomorrow night?" She smirked, sitting back down on the edge of the bed, leaning over closer to his face as he smiled and nodded.

"She is. And if she's not I'm gonna make her." Rocky said as Freddie smiled.

"Then I'll see you tomorrow night." Freddie smiled, pressing a kiss on his lips as he kissed back, trying to pull her back onto him as she laughed against the kiss and pulled away, "You can wait twenty four hours, right?" She said, standing back up straight and putting her jacket on as he groaned to himself.

"I guess." Rocky nodded as she smiled.

* * *

Freddie walked home, huge smile on her face from the nights events. She had no regrets and that was the most important thing to her. She knew she wanted it and so did he, and because of that, it was special, and everything she imagined it to be. He was gentle, but exciting, and there was so much want between them both that it was impossible for it not to be amazing. The only problem she had now, was that she wanted more.

"Hey, I'm home." She announced, walking into the apartment she shared with her dad, "Dad?" Freddie called into what appeared to be the empty apartment.

She walked off into the kitchen and saw the fridge magnets spelled out to say 'at moms' so she grabbed a bottle of water and headed to bed. Her parents had been spending more time with each other on their own, and she was happy for them. She didn't have any reason to be mad about it. She could see they clearly still loved each other, and she was happy they were able to still find that love.

Meanwhile at AJ's apartment, the opposite of love was being shown.

"He's dead?" AJ said, for the fifth time perhaps as she looked at Punk in the eye as he nodded. He'd only been home for a week, so he still wasn't feeling one hundred percent, and he definitely didn't want to argue with AJ, but he had to tell her the truth before they went any further.

"My dad… he… he wasn't thinking. He thought your dad was a threat, and he was mad about what happened to Freddie and me, and you." Punk said, "I'm not defending him, absolutely not, I'm mad with him, but… I mean, your dad was a bad man." He said.

"Why lie to me? Your dad? Toni? They told me they sent him away. Why?" AJ shook her head.

"I guess they didn't know how you would react." Punk said, "But I couldn't keep that from you."

"I uh…" AJ shook her head, trying to find words but not knowing what to say or how to feel. It wasn't like her father was her best friend, or even someone she respected, but the concept of murder, upon anyone, wasn't something she associated Julio with and it scared her.

"Since when was Julio a murderer?" AJ asked him.

"He's not. Look, I know that's what you think, I did too, but he's seeing it as protecting us, protecting you even."

"For saying you aren't defending him, you're doing a good job." AJ nodded.

"I'm not. I think he made a horrible decision, but… he had reasons. It's not like he did it for fun or to be bad. I mean look what your dad almost had done to Freddie. Look what happened to me… hell, look what he did to you, April. He took you from your own daughter for eighteen years. Put you in that position."

"Yeah, my dad was a piece of shit, I know that, but… this… this group was never about that sort of life. You always promised me that and I saw it." AJ nodded, "They're not killers. That's just giving in to those stereotypes and digs that people take at us." She said as Punk nodded.

It appeared she was more upset that his father had taken a life, rather than acknowledge the fact it was her own father.

"I know, I said this to Julio." Punk nodded.

"He just killed him? How?" AJ stood up from her couch, "How did he kill him?"

"I didn't ask." Punk shook his head.

"Where did he take him?" AJ asked.

"I-I don't know." Punk said.

"Do you know anything?" AJ asked angrily.

"No. Because I didn't want to know." Punk stood up, "I didn't want to know what he did, I didn't want any part of it, all I wanted was for him to tell you, and he couldn't do that so I'm doing it." He said, "The less we know, the better."

"What about my mom?" AJ shook her head, "Did he kill her too?"

"No, she actually was sent away." Punk nodded, "Dad gave her some money and put her on a flight. I don't know where to but she's gone. He told her that Rick had gone elsewhere so she knows nothing."

"So who knows? Me, you, Toni and Julio?"

"Yeah." Punk nodded.

"The last time someone was murdered, I had to choose between you going to prison and me never seeing my daughter again." AJ said.

"Yeah, because of your dad." Punk reminded her, "He can't… he can't hurt you anymore. Not to think of the positives that his death has brought but… he can't haunt you or come for you again, that's all over." He said as she placed her hand on her forehead.

"I can't believe he's really dead." AJ shook her head. She didn't know what she felt. It wasn't pain or sadness but it wasn't happiness either. It was somewhere in between. He was a bad man, and of course she didn't want him in her life anyway, but murder upon anyone scared her, especially when it was happening inside the group that she thought wasn't like that, "Is this what this group has become then?" AJ asked him, "Murderers?"

"No." Punk shook his head, "No, that's not it and you know it."

"Well that's what it looks like Phil. Is that what you are? Is that what this group has become?"

"You really think I could do something like that?" Punk asked her, "In case you forgot, the past eighteen years I've been here focusing on raising our daughter, nothing else-"

"Oh, yeah. Throw that at me." AJ nodded, "I knew you would at one point." She said.

"I'm not throwing anything at you. It's facts. Don't come at me. I'll come back. You know me." Punk said as she folded her arms, "Maybe you're hurt. I've been there. I've lost a dad before. A shit one. We can both relate on that level. And hell, the world was a better place when my real dad died, so maybe this is a blessing in disguise."

"The fact you're saying that gives me chills. My dad was no saint, no kidding, but wishing death upon anyone… that's not who I thought you were." She said.

"It's not. I'm not a killer. It's not like I asked Julio to do it for me. I'm just saying I know how it feels."

"You were younger and getting beat by your dad." AJ said, "There's a difference."

"Yeah and you're a grown ass woman who was controlled by your dad for most of your life." He stepped closer to her, "What's your point?" He asked, watching her nose flicker a little as she glared up at him, "Don't give me those eyes." He warned quietly to her as she took a deep breath and looked up at him, not realising how close they were until she could practically feel him against her.

She reached up and pressed her lips against his, cupping his face as he kissed back with surprise and then pulled away for a second.

"I-I thought you were mad-" Punk shook his head.

"I'm tired of being mad." AJ shook her head, leaning back up and kissing him again, this time feeling as his hands ran down her body, picking her up, wincing into her mouth a little but carrying on.

"I don't think we should do this." Punk told her, yet whilst walking to her bedroom.

"No, we definitely shouldn't." AJ shook her head whilst kissing his neck, clinging to him for dear life as he walked into the bedroom and shut the door over with his foot, throwing her onto the centre of the bed and stripping his t-shirt off before hovering over her.

They were surprised actually that they had actually lasted this long without this happening. The tension had built up for the past few months since she'd gotten back, and in the wake of this news about her father, despite what her emotions were trying to do to her, she just wanted him, to cling to him and feel him again the way she hadn't been allowed to for so long.

* * *

"Fuck… yes." AJ moaned, later that night, lying on her back, the sheets a mess around them as she felt him inside her after so long, after only having memories to think of. The last time they were like this, they were just teenagers, so it was a different experience, almost better after so much absence from each other, and it felt great to finally be together so intimately again.

"You gonna cum? You gonna cum for me?" Punk moaned, settled between her legs, kissing her neck whilst thrusting into her as she rolled her head back and forth and moaned loudly.

"Yes. Yes, please." AJ begged, scuffing her teeth over his arm as she placed her forehead against it, watching his hand go between them and stroke her clit as she cried out a little louder, "Yes, oh my God." She moaned as Punk smirked. They certainly hadn't lost any spark or fire they had. They still knew what made the other tick and no feelings had left, if anything it felt more intense.

They both carried on until they reached their release. Punk slowly collapsed down beside her, out of breath and a little in pain from his side but nothing that could cancel out how great it felt to be with her again in this way.

"That… probably wasn't good for your side." AJ gasped a little, pulling the sheets up and turning onto her side, kissing up his arm and curling her body next to him.

"It's ok." Punk nodded, running his hand over his messy hair as she looked up at him.

"I've missed you." She whispered as he smiled down to her.

"I missed you." Punk nodded, as she smiled, rolling back on top of him carefully and pressing her lips against his as he settled his hands on her waist. They couldn't deny the feelings were still there, and there were so many emotions tied to what they were going through and what they had gone through. AJ only knew one thing and it was that she still loved him and trusted him like no one else, and for that she had to hold onto him even tighter this time.


	50. No Rush

**No Rush**

* * *

"So… how was it?" Jenny smiled, standing in art class where they were painting one of the walls after finishing course work that they had to do.

"How was what?" Freddie asked modestly.

"The D?" Jenny asked as Freddie turned to her and made a face.

"You two are way too nosey." Freddie just laughed, dipping her paint brush in the pot and back onto the wall where they were painting different designs and patterns.

"At least tell us if it went well?" Lucy asked, "You owe us that."

"I owe you?" Freddie laughed.

"Well this is the guy you're blowing us off for now, we deserve to know that he's at least treating you nice." Lucy said.

"It was fine." Freddie shrugged.

"Just fine?" Jenny asked.

"Ok, it was really fine." Freddie nodded.

"What'd he do?" Lucy asked, "Did he go down on you?" She asked as Freddie kept her eyes on the wall, "I assume that's a yes." She laughed.

"Did you go down on him?" Jenny asked as Freddie kept her eyes on the wall, trying her best not to smile, "Freddie Carraro, you little slut." She laughed.

"How does that make me a slut?" Freddie turned to her and laughed, "He's my boyfriend."

"Hey, I'm proud of you." Jenny put her hands up, "Was he big?"

"Ok, you're both officially not allowed to ask questions now." Freddie warned as they laughed, "That's all you're getting."

"At least you don't have to be nervous now." Lucy said as Freddie nodded.

"He didn't make it a nervous thing for me. Like I thought would be but… it wasn't. It was nice." She shrugged, "I'm going to his again tonight."

"Oh, yeah. Get it girl." Jenny nodded, "Clearly he wants more." She smirked.

"He wanted me to stay over last night." Freddie said, "But I knew I'd be faced with twenty one questions from my dad in the morning, but then… I came home and he wasn't there and he still wasn't this morning, he was at my mom's. He just sent me a text saying he was ok and that I better go to school." She shrugged.

"Oh, your dad finally getting the love he deserves has made my year." Jenny nodded, "What a guy."

"No, I think he was just… they've been spending a lot of time together." Freddie said, "You know what, I don't want to know." She admitted, "They can… do what they want." She waved her hand.

"Don't you want them together?" Lucy asked.

"Of course I do. I just don't want them to rush into anything to the point they end up overwhelmed. Me and my mom are still taking it slow, I mean things are good with her, and she's like… a part of my life now, but there's more between them both, I think they should respect the fact they haven't been together in eighteen years."

"You don't know how they're feeling though." Jenny said, "Clearly they loved one another. Wouldn't it be nice to have them together? Under the same roof as you?"

"Yeah, it would." Freddie nodded. Of course she wanted her parents to be happy and together, but she still worried about how much time they'd actually spent apart, and that maybe one day that would catch them out, "It's not for me to say." She shrugged, climbing down from the ladders, not noticing the paint tray sitting as she stepped down on it and fell down onto the other paint as Jenny and Lucy looked down at her, "You've got to be kidding me." Freddie groaned, looking at the paint up her arm and t-shirt, some in her hair and face.

"Are you ok?" Jenny laughed as Freddie groaned to herself, looking over at the other class where some younger students were laughing.

"Oh, yeah. Great." Freddie shook her head, standing up, "It's literally everywhere." She shook her head, feeling the paint all over her back and up the backs of her arms.

"Freddie, go clean up in the girls bathroom." Her teacher called over.

"Oh, no I was gonna just stand here and go to my next class like this." Freddie muttered without her teacher hearing, "Stop laughing." She told her friends who were trying their best not to obviously laugh at her.

"You look like elmo jerked off on your face." Lucy laughed as half of her face was covered in red paint.

"Funny." Freddie nodded, "I swear if anyone sees me like this." She shook her head, dumping the paintbrush down and walking out of the class, practically dripping with paint as she made her way down to the girls locker room. She would have gone to the bathroom but she knew the dryers and sinks were better in the locker rooms.

She walked on in, thankfully seeing it empty, beginning to wash herself at the sink, stripping her t-shirt off. She wasn't even sure how to even clean it.

She continued to try and wash her t-shirt as well as her face and parts of her hair when she suddenly heard loud commotion coming from the opposite door which lead outside. She thought nothing of it, assuming the girls gym team were coming in, until she heard a lot more masculine voices.

She slowly looked up from the sink, looking in the mirror as she saw the school's football team standing together staring at her.

"Shit." Freddie sighed to herself, grabbing her t-shirt and turning around, placing it over her.

"I think you got the wrong locker room, Brooks." One of the guys nodded, "Nice bra, though. Black is my favourite."

"Oh, is that the first bra you've ever saw in person? Besides from your mom's?" Freddie smiled, putting her still very painted t-shirt back on as some of the other guys laughed with her, watching the boy front and centre go red from embarrassment, "I thought this place smelt too bad to be the girls. I apologise." She nodded, walking off out of the locker room, groaning to herself as she found the girls locker room instead.

* * *

"Hey, I'm home." Freddie sighed, walking into the apartment, dried up paint in her hair and on her clothes as Punk walked around the corner from inside the kitchen.

"Oh, shit." Punk jumped a little, "What the hell happened to you?"

"I tripped and… fell in some paint." Freddie shook her head, dumping her bag down and walking into the living room as Punk followed her.

"It's all in your hair." He cringed.

"Yes, dad. I'm aware. I've had people tell me all day." Freddie said, "I need to shower." She shook her head, afraid to sit down anywhere in case she left a print of paint, "You stay at mom's last night?" She turned around to him, arching a brow.

"Yeah." Punk nodded casually.

"Just crash on her couch, did you?" Freddie asked with a telling smile as Punk watched her.

"Uh… yeah." Punk nodded along as Freddie just nodded.

"Right." Freddie said, "Well I'm gonna go shower and then I'm going out."

"With?" Punk questioned.

"Rocky." Freddie said.

"Why don't you invite him in one night? I'll cook." Punk said.

"You don't cook." Freddie laughed a little.

"Well then my lazy ass will lift the phone and call for a pizza." Punk said, "I feel like I've not got to talk to Rocky at all."

"Yeah, I wonder why he would avoid you." Freddie said, folding her arms.

"I do wonder why? I'm a lovely guy just up for some casual conversation." Punk shrugged as Freddie scoffed.

"If Rocky says the wrong thing you'll pounce on him. I know you." Freddie said, "Some nights I might just… stay at his house and go straight to school from there, that'd be ok right?"

"No." Punk laughed, "No it wouldn't."

"Why not?" Freddie asked.

"Because. You come home." Punk told her seriously.

"What difference does it really make?" Freddie asked.

"A lot. I want you home-"

"Coming from the guy who was away all night and all morning last night?" Freddie asked.

"I'm a grown ass man, Freddie." Punk laughed.

"And I'm eighteen." Freddie said, "I'm not a little girl."

"You've just started dating this kid-"

"Stop calling him this kid, he has a name, use it." Freddie told him.

"You've just started dating Rocky." Punk said.

"And? What is your point exactly?" Freddie asked him.

"Don't rush into anything." Punk told her.

"Already have." Freddie mumbled.

"What?" Punk said.

"Nothing." Freddie smiled, "Fine, whatever keeps your heart rate healthy." She shook her head, "I'm going to shower." She said, wandering off to the bathroom as Punk shook his head.

* * *

Freddie left the apartment later on after showering and headed to Rocky's house where she was actually surprisingly met with him coming down the side walk.

"Where were you?" Freddie asked him as Rocky just shook his head.

"Just… out." Rocky smiled to her, leaning in and giving her a kiss, "You're early."

"Had to get away from my dad's questions." Freddie nodded, "He wants to invite you over for dinner." She told him as he unlocked the door and walked on into the house.

"That's not good." Rocky admitted.

"It'll be fine. As long as I prepare you for a week in advance, you'll be ok." Freddie nodded as Rocky groaned, "You won't believe what happened to me in school today-"

"I heard." Rocky nodded, displeased, not that Freddie noticed, heading on upstairs.

"Oh, great. So everyone is talking about it?" Freddie asked, "I'm over it." She shook her head, following him upstairs and into his bedroom, "Where is your little brother?"

"Some club, I don't know." Rocky shook his head.

"Well I uh… I said to my dad about me potentially just staying over here and going to school in the morning from here but he… was not down for that." Freddie said, "In fact, he told me to be back for 10." She admitted, embarrassed.

"What?" Rocky groaned, "What difference does it make?"

"That's what I said but… he's been all adamant about it now." Freddie shook her head, "Which means… we just gotta start up a few hours early." She smiled, stripping her t-shirt off and walking over to him as he smiled, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her back onto the bed with him.

* * *

"You gave her a curfew?" AJ laughed a little, sitting in the kitchen in Punk's apartment having dinner with him. They'd been doing it since he got out of hospital, nothing too extravagant but enough to be in each other's company. However, neither had addressed the activities of last night. In the morning AJ had gone to work and they never really got the chance to talk. She could only remember falling asleep in his arms and feeling so sad to leave them when her alarm went off.

"Damn right." Punk nodded, "She said would it be ok if she just stayed overnight? It's like sometimes I think she's trying to test me." He said.

"What's wrong with her staying over at his house? They're dating." AJ shook her head.

"Because I know why she wants to stay over." Punk said as AJ shrugged.

"She's not a baby." AJ reminded him, "I mean, you realise they are… probably doing it already-"

"Why? Has she told you?" Punk put his fork down as AJ raised a brow.

"No, but I took her to the doctors for birth control a few weeks ago." AJ said as Punk raised a brow.

"Excuse me?" Punk shook his head.

"What?" AJ said, "She's smart. Unlike me and you who didn't use anything." She rolled her eyes.

"She asked you to take her?" Punk asked.

"Yeah." AJ nodded, "It's not a big deal."

"I feel ill." Punk sighed to himself, running his hands over his face as AJ sighed.

"Wouldn't you rather she be in a relationship, being safe, enjoying his company, rather than some stranger at a party that she doesn't know… there's nothing wrong with what she's doing." AJ nodded, "I know you just worry but she's ok." She said as Punk just grumbled, "I was kinda hoping we could talk about… our relationship, not our daughters." She said as Punk looked across at her, "We never got the chance to talk really this morning." She said as he nodded, "I don't regret it." She made clear.

"I don't either." Punk shook his head.

"But I do think it's… important for us to respect how much we've been apart, and how different things are on an emotional level." She said as Punk nodded.

"It still feels like nothing has changed, especially last night." He said as she nodded, "I was kinda thinking you were just… emotional because of what I told you… about your dad." He said.

"A part of me was." AJ nodded, "I'm not gonna pretend I'm upset. My dad was a terrible person. I was just more… scared above anything else about the fact your dad took another person's life. I mean, that's how all of this started. Trying to cover up a murder that he committed. I really don't want things to end the same way it did last time. I'm not… missing another eighteen years of my kid's life."

"You're not gonna." Punk said, "It's normal you've got the fear of that after what you've been through. My dad… not that I'm proud of it, but he knows how to handle that type of situation. So I don't want it lying on your shoulders or mine. I know it's not something you want to forget about, it's hard to, but for us to move on, we gotta." He said as she nodded, "Don't worry about my dad. He can carry a lot on his shoulders. More than the average person." Punk said.

"I've realised that over the years." AJ nodded, "Am I a horrible person? For… For not caring that my own father is dead?"

"Your father wasn't a father to you. He did the opposite of care for you. He was totally fine with hurting Freddie and me, and he knew what that would do to you, and he still didn't care. You have every right to feel nothing." Punk assured her.

"So what do we do?" AJ asked him.

"About what?" Punk asked her.

"About us. What are we doing?" She asked. It seemed such a simple question but yet so difficult to confirm, "Can we just have sex again?" She asked exhaustedly as he threw his cutlery down, standing up as she did too, feeling him lift her up, pressing his lips against hers in a rush, pinning her against the nearest wall, his hand around her neck as they kissed longingly, her hands pulling at his t-shirt as he kissed her neck. They couldn't help it.


	51. Forgive And Forget

**Forgive And Forget**

* * *

"What the hell happened to Justin's face?" Freddie shook her head, sitting down at the lunch table the next day with Jenny and Lucy.

"You didn't hear?" Jenny asked.

"Hear what?" Freddie shook her head, opening her bottle of water.

"Uh… Rocky beat him up." Jenny said as Freddie shook her head.

"What?" Freddie laughed a little, "No, no he didn't." She shook her head, "I was with him all last night."

"It was straight after school." Lucy said, "He went to his house." She said, "Any idea what it's about?" She asked as Freddie turned around, staring over at Rocky sitting at his table, standing up, "Wait, Freddie-"

Freddie made her way over to the table as Rocky looked at her, "Got a minute?" Freddie folded her arms as Rocky nodded, getting up from the table and walking off with her.

"What's good?" Rocky asked.

"I don't know, you tell me." Freddie said, "You beat up Justin?" She asked as Rocky tensed a little and put his hands in his pockets, shrugging, "Speak, say something." Freddie said.

"Yeah we… had a little fight, yeah." Rocky said.

"No, what I heard was you went to his house." Freddie said, "Why? What the hell?"

"I heard he gave you some grief yesterday when you were… cleaning yourself up." Rocky shrugged.

"He didn't give me any grief." Freddie shook her head, "He said he liked my bra and I left the locker room. It was my fault for being in the wrong one anyway." She said, "That's why you rearranged his face?"

"Well my buddies told me he was going around talking about it." Rocky said, "So I get mad, thought he was on your case." He shrugged.

"He looks like he's been through a car crash, Rocky." Freddie looked over, "He didn't do anything. You're not my frickin' body guard." She said.

"I was just looking out for you. I thought he was giving you shit, alright?" Rocky said, "Don't get mad at me for caring. He needs to learn not to say shit. He was talking about it all day."

"Then go talk to him, don't punch in the face." Freddie said, "You've made an issue out of something that wasn't an issue." She shook her head.

"Oh, whatever." Rocky groaned, "It wasn't an issue until now."

"Is that where you were coming from yesterday? When I came to your house?" She asked as he stayed silent, "What the hell is wrong with you?" She shook her head, "I didn't think you were like that."

"Like what?" Rocky shook his head.

"Violent and… possessive. It's not cute and I don't need someone to protect me. He didn't do anything, he didn't deserve to be beaten like that." She shook her head, looking over at the boy who had a seriously messed up face.

"Yeah, well I think he did. Shouldn't have made any comment to you and he shouldn't have been going around talking about it." Rocky shrugged, "It's been dealt with, can we just move on now?"

"You didn't have to deal with anything." Freddie pulled him back from going back to the table, "There was nothing to deal with."

"Well I know how you get, Freddie." Rocky said, "I thought if you heard him talking about you like that then it'd freak you out, send you into a frenzy, and I didn't want that."

"I'm not some timebomb waiting to be set off." Freddie shook her head, "I've dealt with more problems than some footballers talking about seeing my bra." She scoffed.

"Well I was just trying to look out for you." Rocky said.

"You can do that without beating anyone up." Freddie said, walking off.

"Fred." Rocky said with a sigh, but she had already walked off, and he could tell she was angry.

* * *

"Do you think she knew I was here?" AJ asked, lying in bed with Punk peacefully, tangled amongst the sheets against his naked body. She'd missed this. In a way, they never really got the chance to find this sort of peace before. There was so much they had to face as young teenagers that it was difficult to feel any sort of relaxation, but they felt it now, and it was nice.

"I don't see how she could have." Punk shook his head. She'd stayed the night and since she didn't have to go to work, she had the pleasure of sleeping in with him and waking up at their leisure.

"I don't think we should tiptoe around her." AJ shook her head, "I'm not saying I should move on or anything but-"

"AJ, I think she knows." Punk smiled a little, turning to her as AJ just nodded, "And I don't think she'll care really. She's not interested in what we're doing. Sure she wants to make sure that we don't ruin this but… I think she's just happy she has you now." He said, "I don't think there's such a thing as rushing when it comes to us."

"Clearly not." AJ smiled, resting her chin on his chest and looking up at him, "It still feels strange." She admitted, running her finger over his tattooed chest, "Being here, like this, after all this time." She admitted, "Good but strange." She said.

"Feels like nothing has changed really." Punk said, "A few more wrinkles maybe."

"Uh… I hope you're saying that on behalf of you." AJ said as he smiled and nodded.

"Of course." Punk smiled, "I know you've missed out on a lot but… I'm just glad you're here now." He nodded, running his hand up and down her back as she smiled and nodded, rolling over on top of him as he smirked.

"Yeah, me too." AJ smirked, pressing her lips against his just as there was a knock at the door, groaning to herself and rolling off of him as he grumbled.

He got out of bed, slipping on basketball shorts and a t-shirt, and making his way out of the bedroom, opening the door up and raising a brow, "Shelly?" Punk shook his head as Shelly smiled.

"Hey." Shelly nodded, "I didn't catch you at a bad time, did I?" She wondered, seeing an uncomfortable look on his face.

"No… well I just woke up." Punk scratched the back of his neck, "Is everything ok?" He asked her. Not that he was rude enough to question why she kept showing up, but he really was beginning to question what she was getting out of this. He knew she was a sweet girl and extremely friendly, but he'd made it quite clear that he had no intention of getting together with her.

"Yeah, fine." Shelly said, "I was just wondering if you maybe wanted to grab coffee a day this week. After school hours of course." She remembered to say.

"Uh… coffee… yeah, I mean…"

"Phil, you can say no." Shelly laughed a little as AJ crept out of the bedroom as Shelly looked over, "Oh, God. Sorry." She shook her head, "I… I didn't mean to… interrupt, I… I really just wanted to know if you wanted to go for a coffee… as friends." She made clear, looking over to AJ who stared across at her.

"Yeah, Shelly. Sure." Punk smiled politely, "I can do Thursday. Just give me a text."

"Ok." Shelly nodded, backing away and leaving the apartment as Punk closed the door over behind her.

"Is she really that desperate for a friend?" AJ folded her arms, walking over to him.

"She's nice." Punk shrugged, "And she knows about you. I've made it quite clear."

"So she just… wants to chat?" AJ smiled, "Bit strange."

"No, she's always been like that." Punk said.

"What? Way too freakishly nice? I didn't know you associated with those people."

"I usually don't." Punk nodded, "I have the feeling maybe she needs someone to talk to more than I do." He said, "She was always nice to me."

"Going on a coffee date with her before you take me out on one?" AJ smiled to him, "You ought to be ashamed." She teased, walking by him and into the kitchen as he followed after her.

"It's not a date." He defended, "It's just a friendly chat. I couldn't say no to her, could I?" Punk said.

"I'm just kidding." AJ nodded, "I'm not the jealous type." She said, even though she did feel slightly jealous.

"I know you're not." Punk smiled, "You want some breakfast?" He asked her, kissing her cheek on the way by as she nodded and smiled.

* * *

"Freddie, wait up!" Rocky called, trying to catch up with Freddie going along the sidewalk out of school, "Freddie!" He called as she eventually stopped and turned around.

"What?" Freddie shook her head, "What do you want?"

"I-I wanna talk, I don't want you to be mad with me." Rocky said, "Maybe I crossed the line but I was just trying to look out for you."

"I'm not a kid. I don't need someone looking out for me. Ok, you're worse than my dad." She shook her head, "Justin didn't say anything to me that deserved a punch in the face, and if he did then I would have dealt with it." Freddie told him.

"Ok, well I'm sorry. I just got mad. I've never… cared about someone like I do with you, so I got worried-"

"Well I'm fine." Freddie mumbled, folding her arms, "Everything doesn't have to be solved with violence." She reminded him.

"I'm sorry." Rocky said as Freddie just looked at him and nodded.

"Ok." She said.

"You wanna… go get some ice-cream?" He smiled as Freddie looked at him and smiled softly.

"Only if you're paying." Freddie nodded.

"That means you're only getting one scoop." Rocky teased as she smiled.

"Fine by me." Feddie shrugged as they began walking down the street and out of sight, meanwhile Shelly sat in a car with her partner and boss, Tom watching.

"Who is the boy?" Tom asked her.

"Rocky Lopez." Shelly said, "Gang member. Lives with mom and little brother. Dad died when he was twelve, cancer." She said.

"You got a photographic memory?" Tom questioned.

"No, I just know things." Shelly nodded, "I got the coffee acceptance but… I can't be pushy, he's gonna start questioning it. Him and the girl are definitely screwing." She said.

"Try and ask about the stabbing." Tom nodded, "See what he tells you. Figure out if he's bullshitting things up." He said, "Ask about Julio, just in a friendly way, ask what he's up to. Ask about the gang." He said as Shelly nodded.

"He's not dumb. He won't blurt out anything to me." Shelly said.

"I don't need you to catch him out, I just want to know what he says." Tom said, "I'll keep my eyes on the two kids."

"They're kids. They won't know anything." Shelly scoffed.

"One is a gang member and the other is Phil's daughter. They'll know more than you think." Tom said as Shelly ran her hand through her face, "Found anything on her dad yet then?"

"No, nothing." Shelly said, "It's like he's just disappeared out of thin air. Nothing on the mother either. Both their workplaces don't have any information on them." She said, "I just find it extremely convenient that Phil ends up in hospital when they both disappear." She said.

"Yeah, there's definitely something going on." Tom said, "Just get as much out of him as possible. I know he's not easy to crack, and I know you can't keep pushing it, but you're good at your job, sleep with him if you have to."

"He's in a relationship… well I think he is." Shelly said.

"Do I care?" Tom laughed, "We need as much as we can get to take this rotten family down. I know there's something to be found. Something terrible."


	52. Another Strike

**Another Strike**

* * *

"Phil? You in?" Dean shouted, walking into his brother's apartment which appeared to be opened, yet there was no sign of him around, "Punker?" Dean called again, walking into the kitchen and looking around, pausing when he heard noises coming from one of the bedroom.

"Phil?" He called again, walking closer to the bedroom when he realised it was coming from his brother's but his nieces, and he very quickly realised what the noises were as he got face to face with the door, "Yo, Freddie!" Dean banged at the door.

Freddie jumped back into reality, on top of Rocky in bed as she looked down at him, "Uh…" Freddie gulped, "Just a minute!" Freddie called.

"W-What are you doing?" Rocky shook his head, pulling out of her as she scrambled off the bed, putting her clothes on as he shook his head, "What's happening in a minute?" He whispered quietly.

"Get the under the sheets." Freddie told him quietly.

"What?" Rocky laughed.

"Do it." Freddie smacked him across the face with a pillow as he disappeared under the sheets on the bed. She fixed her clothes and tried to flatten out her hair as she walked over to her bedroom door, taking a deep breath and opening it up, "Hey, Uncle Dean." Freddie smiled, only opening the door a little bit.

"Hey." Dean smiled suspiciously, "I uh… I thought I heard… moaning." Dean folded his arms as Freddie looked at him.

"Y-Yeah I was… porn. I was watching porn." Freddie nodded as Dean just raised a brow.

"Ok." Dean said awkwardly.

"What do you want? I mean… anything I can help you with?" She asked more politely.

"Where is your dad? Clearly not here." Dean said.

"He is at coffee with a friend. Well she's an ex of his, I think the whole thing is weird but… that's where he is. Mom is at work." Freddie told him.

"And why are you not at school?" Dean asked her.

"Free period." Freddie smiled to him as Dean just nodded.

"Tell your dad I was looking for him then, and if you're… doing that, lock your god damn front door." Dean shook his head.

"Right. Gotcha." Freddie smiled, watching as he walked on off and out of the door as she rolled her eyes and shut her bedroom door back over as Rocky came back out from under the sheets.

"Porn?" Rocky laughed, "Really?" He said as Freddie shrugged, taking her clothes back off and getting back into bed, "You could have just denied the noises."

"No, I had to make it awkward so he didn't ask anything. I just saved your life, you're welcome." Freddie said.

"Yeah, I don't know who is scarier, your dad or your uncle." Rocky shook his head.

"My uncle one hundred percent." Freddie laughed, "He's more violently scary, dad is more… verbally scary."

"Great." Rocky nodded.

"Let's stop talking about them though." Freddie insisted, pressing her lips back against his and rolling back on top of him.

* * *

"Nothing." Shelly grumbled, walking into the office and dumping her bag down, "He gave me absolutely nothing." She shook her head, after coming from coffee with Punk where he so cleverly diverted his answers around her questions, "He would half ass answer it and move onto another question."

"You weren't too pushy were you?" Tom asked.

"No. I was fine." Shelly said, "He just kept saying it's been a tough couple of months. And he made it so very clear to me that he was not looking to hook up. He's definitely with AJ." She nodded, "He also said they're trying to stay low to the ground. What that means, I don't know?"

"Anything about Julio?" Tom asked.

"No, nothing. I asked how they were and he just said they were good." Shelly said, "It's not gonna work. We're just going to have to go in and find our evidence."

"Did you ask him about AJ's parents?" Tom asked.

"Yeah, and he just said they left town. He was sure of it. I mean, maybe they did just leave town." Shelly nodded.

"No, it's way too suspicious. He's a liar, Shelly." Tom said, "You know that. I know it. And there's something being hidden. That night Phil was stabbed, April's father and mother go missing, a man dies with no ties to his murderer and April settles back into the South after eighteen years." He said, "You can't tell me that's all just coincidence." He said as Shelly sighed and nodded.

"Then what do we do? I know him well enough to know he's not going to tell me anything. He didn't when we dated." She said.

"We just have to move in on finding things then. They're a smart group, they're not going to leave mistakes to be picked up on." Tom nodded.

"We need to find out where AJ's mother and father are first, then we can figure out what is really going on here. If they really did flee to somewhere else, they must know something." Shelly said as Tom nodded.

"Yeah. Turn the attention onto finding them wherever they are." Tom agreed.

* * *

"How was your coffee date?" Freddie asked, lying up on the couch when her father came home.

"Wasn't a date." Punk said, sitting his keys down and wandering into the living room, sitting down on the couch across, "It was fine. I think she just wants someone to talk to." Punk admitted truthfully.

"And mom is ok with you going out on coffee dates with another woman?" Freddie asked him, looking on at the TV.

"Again, not a date." Punk said, "Your mom was fine." Punk assured her.

"Dean was looking for you. He came by earlier. Did you get him?" She asked.

"No. I didn't." Punk said, "Did he say what for?"

"No. Just that he was looking for you." Freddie said, looking over at him as he nodded, "Are you gonna tell me what's going on with you and mom? Are you guys together or…"

"Yeah, we're giving it a go." Punk nodded, "We're not gonna rush it but… I'd say we're together, yeah." He said, "We never… really got the chance before to actually take our time. Everything was so rushed. Maybe this time we can actually go out on dates and take our time." Punk said as Freddie smiled.

"As long as you're happy." Freddie nodded. She didn't have to ask if he was, because she could tell he was extremely happy, and that was all she cared about.

"Yeah, I am." Punk nodded with a smile, "And hey, I'm serious about inviting Rocky over one night. Not for me to… interrogate him but… I want to know him a little better. He's your boyfriend." He said, "I'm not out to scare him. I want him to know me, and I want to know him." Punk nodded.

"As long as you behave." Freddie nodded, "I can ask him over." She smiled.

"I promise I will." He smiled, "Your mom can be there too, to make sure I do behave." He said as Freddie just smiled and nodded, "I'm gonna go to Dean's and see what he was after." He stood back up, "Want me to bring you back food?"

"Oh, yeah. Go to Wendy's or something." She nodded.

"Yeah, ok. Your mom is coming over so expect her soon." Punk said.

"Ok." Freddie nodded, watching as he left the apartment. For the first time, she felt like her family was functioning normally. She was happy her mom and dad were finding happiness with each other again, and she was happy that she could bond with her mother after not being given the opportunity for so long, and she was also glad her dad was serious about getting to know Rocky. That meant the most to her.

* * *

"Hey, what's up?" Punk said, standing at Dean's door, watching as he looked around him.

"Alright, get in." Dean nodded, pulling his brother into his house and closing the door over behind him.

"What's wrong?" Punk shook his head, noticing his brother looked on edge about something, walking on into the living room with him, "Kate." Punk nodded to his brother's long-term girlfriend, "What's going on?" He turned back to Dean.

"We have a problem." Dean said, taking the note and picture from Kate and extending it over to Punk who took it and looked at the picture with the message underneath.

"What the hell is this?" Punk shook his head, even though he could see very clearly what it was. He could see in the picture their father parked at the quary with the message underneath saying 'we're coming for you' not signed off by anyone, "Who the hell sent this?"

"We don't know." Dean said, "But it was sent through my door."

"When was this from?" Punk asked, looking at the picture, there was no criminal activity in the picture, so it wasn't like it was a threat, more like a warning of some kind.

"I'm assuming it was the night dad took care of Rick." Dean said, "Someone saw him." He said as Punk groaned and ran his hand through his hair.

"I fucking told him this would happen." Punk spat, throwing the picture down and putting his hands on his hips, "I told him. I said this would all happen again, just like it did with my real dad." He shook his head.

"But who the hell is doing it?" Dean asked, "Who would know? Who would care to know about what Rick was doing?" He asked.

"Well maybe the fact that he had ties to the triangle on the north speaks volumes." Punk said, "Could be them. Or it could be anyone. No one really likes us around here in case you've not noticed." He said, "I told April things would be fine." He shook his head, "Does dad know?"

"No, I haven't told him yet." Dean said, "I just got it this morning." He said, "I think we should try and make sense of it before we tell him."

"Make sense of it? How do we do that? It's just a picture. It could be anyone. It could literally just be a stranger." Punk said, "Fuck." He spat angrily, "I'm getting fed up of this shit."

"We'll figure it out, we always do." Dean nodded.

"Last time something like this got figure out, I lost my girlfriend to it." Punk said.

"That's not gonna happen." Dean said, "The picture doesn't even confirm anything." Dean nodded as Punk just shook his head.

"It confirms that someone is about to mess with us." Punk said, "I might just run away at this point." He said, and even though he was joking, he couldn't help but think about how nice it would be to just leave this town with AJ and Freddie, "We need to tell dad. He needs to know about this." Punk said as Dean just nodded, "These things normally go from zero to one hundred for us, we need to be prepared."


	53. Carrying On

**Carrying On**

* * *

"Acting like everything is normal isn't going to… make it go away, Phil." AJ said, watching as he fumbled around in his bedroom. Three weeks had gone by since he had learned about the note Dean had been sent. Julio had been told about and now it seemed like everyone knew. The group was on edge. Scared for the first time in a long time. Scared of people watching.

"If we don't carry on like normal then it makes it more difficult for everyone involved." Punk said, "And plus, I don't want Freddie to find out. She's happy. She's graduated. She's… healthy." He said, "I'm not ruining that for her."

"Ok, but isn't it something we all need to talk about together? Someone… whoever this person is, they're watching, it could be one person, it could be a lot of people, and they know about my dad. About what happened." She said.

She'd been pretty much staying at the apartment with him almost every night. Freddie knew about it, everyone knew it, and it was bizarre to tell themselves they weren't ready to be there for each other and lean on each other, because they were. They'd waited eighteen years for it.

"What are we supposed to do, April?" Punk asked her, "Just… magically figure out who it is? We have a lot of enemies." He nodded.

"Well maybe this wouldn't have happened if your dad didn't kill anyone." AJ said as Punk nodded.

"Hey, I agree with you on that, but it's done and now we have to deal with it. My main concern is keeping Freddie out of it, and you."

"It's my dad." AJ said, "I can't be kept out of it."

"You can." Punk said, "As long as you carry out your normal routine, go to work, pretend everything is fine, then you won't have to worry."

"Pretending everything is fine makes me feel ill." AJ told him, "What is your dad saying about it?"

"He's worried. Of course he's worried." Punk said, "The picture was to scare us, not to threaten us that they're going to the police." He said.

"Which means they're scaring us to prepare us for something." AJ said, "Is it too simple to be that group on the North? Dean killed one of their guys… they tried to… hurt Freddie." She said, "They were familiar with my dad." She said, "Wouldn't it make sense."

"My dad thinks it is. And maybe it is." Punk nodded, "But I'm not… ruling it out."

"Don't you think we should maybe do more to figure out who it is, before they come… knocking on the door, before someone gets hurt or worse." She said.

"Like I said…" Punk stood up from the bed, "You don't need to be involved."

"Phil, don't do that." AJ said, following him out of the bedroom.

"I'm not talking about it." He said, "Hey." He smiled as he saw Freddie walk out of her bedroom, "When is he coming over then?" He asked.

"Uh… anytime now." Freddie said, "You guys ok?" She wondered. She loved having her mom and dad around as an item, it was something she really missed out on and even though she was older and probably didn't appreciate it as much as she would have before, she still thought it was nice, and she was glad they were happy.

"Yeah, fine." AJ smiled, "You look pretty." She said as Freddie smiled.

"Can you please be nice to him?" Freddie asked Punk, "He's really terrified about this."

"Jeez, I'm not gonna kill the kid." Punk said as AJ just raised a brow and mumbled to herself as Punk turned to her, "We'll be in the kitchen." He said, walking on off.

"It'll be fine." AJ smiled to Freddie who just nodded and watched them walk off into the kitchen.

Rocky was finally getting to come around for dinner. She really wanted it to go well because she really was happy in the relationship with Rocky. He was fun, sweet, caring and everything in between. It felt like any minute along they could get with a room around, they would take full advantage of it. She really was falling for him.

She waited on the door and eventually let him in when he appeared, "Oh, you look nice." Freddie smiled, letting him into the apartment.

"I dressed nice for your mom." Rocky teased.

"You mean my dad?" Freddie smiled, "It's fine, my mom is quite good at making sure my dad says the right things so… don't worry. Just relax." She nodded, placing her hands on his shoulders, "If you make it through dinner, I have a special desert for you in mind." She smirked, brushing her hands from his shoulders to around his neck as he laughed a little and nodded.

"I like my desert first." Rocky smiled.

"Too bad." Freddie said, pressing a kiss on his lips and tugging on his hand to take him into the kitchen. She never thought in her wildest dreams she'd be able to introduce a boy to her dad and her mom. Especially when the start of the year was spent in a psych ward for her.

* * *

Small talk carried out through dinner. AJ was good at keeping the flow and pace and Freddie was thankful for that. She could see her dad looked a little awkward and sometimes she even caught him going to speak up and then immediately silencing himself.

"Dad, what are you even gonna do when I go to college?" Freddie smiled.

"What do you mean?" Punk shook his head.

"You could turn my bedroom into a gym. You always say you want to join one." Freddie said as Punk looked across at her and tilted his head.

"Why would I be… what are you talking about?" Punk shook his head.

"Well I'll be at college." Freddie said as Rocky turned to her.

"You're moving away?" Rocky asked her.

"What?" Punk narrowed his eyes at her, "Since when was this happening?"

"You didn't tell me you were moving away." Rocky whispered to her as she looked from him to her father.

"Well I… I assumed you both knew." Freddie said, "The college is too far away." She said.

"When am I supposed to see you?" Rocky asked her with confusion as Freddie turned to him.

"I'll come back home sometimes. And you can… always visit." Freddie nodded as Rocky turned away from her and sat silently.

"So you're moving out?" Punk asked her.

"Dad, I thought you knew." Freddie said.

"Well I didn't." Punk said, "I thought it was local."

"No." Freddie shook her head as Punk stayed silent.

"We can always visit." AJ said, trying to break the awkwardness, "And I'm sure you'll get time off at Christmas and during Summer." She said as Freddie nodded.

"Yeah I do." Freddie nodded, glad she was there to give her some help, "I mean… it's not like I'm disappearing off the face of the earth." She smiled and shrugged.

"When did you plan on telling me?" Rocky asked her quietly.

"I thought you knew." Freddie whispered, even though she had a hunch that both her father and boyfriend had no clue she would be moving away to go to college in just a few months.

"I think you're super brave." AJ smiled, "I would never had the confidence to go to college at your age." AJ nodded, slowly placing her hand on Punk's thigh and squeezing it to make sure he got himself together, she could sense he was tense.

"You mean to tell me you'd take a baby over college?" Freddie laughed as AJ smiled.

"Well, maybe I'd reconsider." AJ said as Freddie just smiled whilst both Rocky and Punk stayed quiet.

* * *

"How the hell are we going to see each other?" Rocky asked, sitting down on the edge of Freddie's bed after escaping dinner.

"I can always come up at the weekends or you can come visit me. I'll have breaks too. It's not a big deal." Freddie said.

"What if you meet someone else?" Rocky asked her.

"I'm not going to meet someone else, Rocky." Freddie rolled her eyes, sitting down on the edge of the bed with him, "I want to do this. I… a part of me wants to get away. Not from you. Of course not from you. But… it's what I want. I'm not just going to leave and not talk to you ever again. You're my boyfriend." She said.

"We'll fall apart." Rocky said.

"No, we won't." Freddie said, "We'll be stronger for it." She nodded, "You'll still see me every week." She said, "And you can come and visit me." She nodded, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you, I just automatically assumed you'd know." She said, "It's not going to ruin anything."

"I don't want to lose you." Rocky shook his head.

"You're not going to." Freddie smiled, leaning in and kissing him softly, "My eyes are only on you." She cupped his cheek softly.

Meanwhile in the kitchen, Punk and AJ were clearing up, "Maybe it's a good thing." Punk said, "Get her out of this mess we're in." He nodded.

"You're allowed to be upset. But she's… she's growing up." AJ nodded, "Maybe I'm more receipting of this news because I wasn't there when she blew out her candles on every single birthday. I didn't get to see her grow up. So I get maybe this is harder for you to… watch her go away on her own, but she's… really mature for her age and I think she's gonna be just fine. She's doing something she loves. That's your daughter for sure." She said as Punk sighed and nodded.

"I know, and I'm proud of her." Punk said, "I'll just worry, that's all." Punk sighed, "But like I said, might be a blessing if she gets out of this town, out of the mess we're in." He sighed as AJ placed a hand on his back and kissed his arm.

"This can't go on." AJ sighed, "We can't live life in fear. God knows we've done it too much." AJ shook her head as he sighed, putting the dish towel down.

"I have no answer to this." Punk told her truthfully, turning around to her as AJ looked up at him, "I don't… I don't know what the hell I'm supposed to do. I don't know what my dad is thinking, what we're supposed to say and do." He shook his head, running his hand through his hair.

"I think we need to do something about it." AJ nodded, "I'm betting it's that group from the North. I think it's time we take some action now." She nodded to him as he nodded along, "Because we can't live like this." She shook her head.

He had missed her being his voice of reason and someone to encourage the right thing. It wasn't fair they had to live in fear because of the anticipation of someone out there knowing something.

"We'll sit down with my dad and… we'll figure it out." Punk nodded as she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly.

* * *

"I spoke to the mom." Shelly said, "She said she'd only speak if she was assured protection. She's terrified." Shelly nodded, sitting in Tom's office, "So I told her there would be cops outside her house twenty four seven until we cleared it up." She said, "And then she spoke to me."

"What'd she say?" Tom asked.

"That Julio paid her to leave town. On her own. He didn't say where Rick was. The last time she saw her husband was the morning of that day. She said a bunch of members of the group came to the house and raided it too." Shelly said.

"So she… she hasn't saw Rick since then?" Tom asked.

"No." Shelly shook her head.

"Well when you were gone." Tom said, "I got an anonymous tip, in the form of photographs." He said, laying them out onto the desk as Shelly looked on, "Here we have Julio at the quary in his car, the same quary that body was found all those years back. The body where his prints were found, yet he was let off because he had a good lawyer." Tom said, "And this was taken the day Rick was last seen."

"Oh man." Shelly smiled to herself, "So who the hell sent these?" She looked up.

"They didn't leave a name. Just this symbol." He showed her as she looked down at the triangle at the bottom of the page.

"Oh, it's about to go down, Tom." Shelly laughed and nodded.

* * *

 **A/N: Lots to come in the next few chapters! Thanks for the reviews!**


	54. Gone

**Gone**

* * *

"Ok, listen up." Julio nodded, standing in the owl in front of everyone. It appeared the only people who weren't there were AJ and Freddie, but Punk made sure of that, "So, say it is this group on the North that are sending a threat. A warning. We gear up. We don't run." Julio nodded, "Now I've made some poor choices in my past, but I live my life with no regrets, because every choice, every decision I've ever made, I've made it for family, for this group." He said, looking particularly over to where Dean and Rocky were sitting.

"What if they take it to the cops?" Dean asked.

"None of their pictures are incriminating me of anything." Julio said as Toni stood beside him, more scared than she'd ever been, because she knew there was a chance this could be their breaking point. It sure felt like it.

"They could link it to the other body." Punk said.

"The cops won't know. If it is the triangle who have these pictures, I doubt they will have taken them to the cops." Julio said, "We build a fence. Like we always do. We look out for each other. Protect each other." He nodded, "And we cancel out the threat."

"Why do you think they're doing it? What do they want?" Punk asked.

"Could be a number of things." Julio said, "They were good pals with Rick it looked like, they could be seeking revenge. Or they could just be marking their territory."

"This isn't their territory." Toni marked, "This is ours. They come looking for a fight, they come into our home." She said, "And that's not ok." She shook her head as Julio looked to her, placing a hand around her.

"We have one thing they don't." Julio said, "We have morals. A code. Family." Julio nodded, "They're reckless, violent, dangerous-"

"This is happening because you're a killer." Punk said, "So let's no go calling anyone else names like violent and dangerous." He said as Julio looked over to him.

"I understand that it is my actions that have got us where we are." Julio nodded in agreement, "And I'm no denying them. I own up to it. But I was doing it for my family. To protect them." He nodded, "That's all that has ever mattered to me." He looked around at the full bar, suddenly turning around when the front door to the owl banged open.

"What's rocking, crows?" A man smirked, walking on in with a group tagging behind him, "Mind if we join in on your little meeting?" He smirked, swinging a baseball bat on his shoulder as Punk and Dean stood up along with the rest of the bar.

"Go home." Julio told Toni, "Get a hold of April and Freddie. I don't want a repeat of last time." He said as Toni nodded and snuck out of the back door, "Gentleman." Julio smiled, "What can I do for you?" He asked.

"Oh, we just want to talk." The man smirked with the rest of the group from the north standing behind him.

* * *

"Is this really the best way to deal with this?" Tom asked, parked outside the bar with Shelly as they had just watched the triangle walk on into the owl.

"We made a deal with them, to go make sense of all of this, and then we can make our move." Shelly said.

"They have baseball bats." Tom said, "How do you not know we've not started a war in there?"

"A war which we'll clean up." Shelly said, "They go in, they get Julio to admit what's going on, to tell us where Rick is or what really happened to him, and then we swoop in. Take the ring leader out of the equation and that group will crumble apart." She smirked.

"And what if someone ends up dead in there?" Tom turned to her.

"Well that is not blood on our hands." Shelly said, "Now shut up and just wait."

* * *

"AJ! Freddie!" Toni called, rushing into Punk's apartment, locking the door behind her as AJ sat up from the couch and Freddie came out of her room.

"Toni, what's wrong?" AJ sat her book down and looked over.

"You need to both… we need to stay here, together." Toni nodded, "Ok, there's… it's about to go down in the owl." She said, trying to catch her breath.

"What?" Freddie shook her head.

"Those guys from the north, they came into the owl and… and I don't know that they want." Toni said as AJ gulped.

"Phil was there?" AJ asked.

"Yeah, yeah they're all there." Toni sighed with worry, "You can't leave this apartment. I think we've got more numbers on our side but… but that doesn't mean there aren't others lurking around." She said as Freddie looked on with worry.

"I… I don't know if Rocky is there." Freddie shook her head, "I should call him." She said, walking back into her bedroom whilst AJ ran her hand over her face.

"Toni, this isn't good." AJ shook her head, her stomach in knots.

"No, I know it's not." Toni sighed, "Julio will call when… when he has news of what's going on." She gulped.

"Hey, it's me." Freddie said, standing in her bedroom on the phone after Rocky's number went to voicemail, "Uh… look I don't know if you're still kinda mad at me for not telling you about college. You seem a little more distant. You just left this morning without saying anything." Freddie said, "It's not like you." She said, "Anyway, Toni just came, told us that there's something going on at the owl. I know there's a ton of you there but just be careful. I… I love you." She nodded, "I know I'm a coward for not saying it to your face for the first time but… I do." She smiled to herself, "We'll make it work. Me going to college. We will." She said, "Just call me when you get a chance." She nodded, hanging up on the call and tossing her phone over onto her bed.

* * *

 _Hours later…_

"Can you tell me anything other than he's in surgery?" Punk asked, blood running down his head, blood stained into his t-shirt and on his hands as he stood in the hospital corridor on his own with a doctor who had just passed by.

"Sir, we need you to calm down." The doctor said, noticing Punk was leaving a bloody trail all the way down the corridor.

"He uh… he'd lost so much blood. They need to hurry up." Punk nodded, trying to wipe his face but only getting more blood on it.

"Ok, sir. You need to take a seat. You're in shock." She said, guiding him slowly over to the seated area as Punk followed her, feeling like he was off balance and his head was spinning, "The first thing I hear, I will let you know right away." She assured him as Punk just nodded, running his dried in bloody hands through his hair as the doctor rushed away, proving to be a very busy night.

"Phil." Dean called, running down the corridor, also bloodied and bruised but not as bad as Punk, "Any word?"

"No, nothing." Punk gulped and shook his head, looking up at him, "Where is dad? W-What… what did they say? Did you go to the station?"

"They've arrested him on the murder of your dad and AJ's dad, and they've found AJ's dads body." Dean said, "It's not good." He shook his head, his hands shaking as Punk clasped his hands over his mouth, "I don't think there's any way out of this. I think he's done for this time."

The night had become a blur. It had been a bloody war that turned from bad to worse within seconds. He recalled Shelly being there, his father being arrested, many members of their group wounded and hurt, some even clinging to life, it had been an awful night.

"Have you heard from… from AJ or Freddie?" Punk looked up.

"Mom text, says she was with them at your apartment." Dean nodded, "I uh… I don't know what to do about dad, I don't know what he wants us to do… what we can do." He sighed worriedly.

"That's… that's not my concern right now." Punk shook his head, keeping his eyes over on the swing doors where he had watched the gurney rush into just moments ago.

"What happened to him?" Dean asked.

"He was fucking shot." Punk shook his head, "I tried… I tried holding the wound but the blood was coming out and… and the ambulance took ages to come." Punk gulped, "You should… you should go to the station, I… I need… I need to stay here and I need to phone Freddie and… and AJ." He nodded, taking his phone from his pocket, getting blood over the screen.

"I'll call them." Dean said, noticing his brother in a mess, "Hey, man. You gotta get it together now." Dean nodded, "The worst has been done. We need to stick together now." He said.

Punk was barely listening to him, though, and he turned around as soon as the swing doors opened, looking on at the doctor he spoke to approaching him.

"Is he ok? What's going on?" Punk asked as the doctor walked over to them silently.

"I'm afraid we… we lost him in surgery." The doctor nodded, "I'm so terribly sorry. Is there family we can call?" She asked as Punk put his hands on his hips and turned to Dean who placed his hands over his mouth.

"He's dead?" Punk asked as the doctor nodded.

"I'm so sorry." She shook her head as Punk placed his hand over his mouth and wandered away into his own little world down the hospital corridor.

"His mom." Dean said, "You can call his mom." He nodded as the doctor who just nodded and walked off. Dean then pulled his phone out and called AJ.

* * *

"I don't know. He just said we should come to the hospital." AJ said, parking at the hospital with Freddie as they got out, "I… I don't know what's going on." AJ said, and that worried her.

"What if it's dad?" Freddie worried, "I mean it can't be Julio, he's at the station with Toni." She said, "What the hell is going on?"

"I don't know." AJ gulped nervously, not sure what they were about to walk into, getting into the hospital and walking off into the emergency department.

It was then where she spotted Dean sitting by the coffee machine and Punk stood leaning against the wall. Both were battered and bruised, and Punk looked like he had been soaked in blood. She was just so glad to see he was ok. Well, as ok could be at this point.

"Thank God." AJ shook her head, rushing over to him and wrapping her arms around him tightly as Punk hugged her back, looking over at Freddie who slowly walked after her and joined in on the hug.

"Are you two ok?" Punk asked, placing each of his blood hands on their cheeks as they both nodded.

"What's going on?" Freddie asked as AJ nodded in agreement for him to tell them, "Why are we here?" She asked as Punk put his hands on his hips. She could see him looking at her strangely, like he didn't know what to say to her and she didn't understand what was going on.

"A lot happened." Punk found his voice as AJ looked at him and turned back to Dean who just shook his head to prepare her, "It's Rocky." Punk said.

"W-What?" Freddie shook her head, "Is he hurt? What happened?" She asked. She thought of the worst, but not totally the worst.

"He was shot." Punk said as AJ gulped and stepped back a little, "He's dead." Punk nodded, as softly as he could. He didn't think this was something he would have to do, with his daughter of all people.

"What?" Freddie shook her head as AJ placed her hand over her mouth, tears rolling out of her eyes, "What are you talking about?" She asked, trying to walk by him as Punk stopped her.

"Freddie, he's dead, sweetheart." Punk nodded, "He's dead." He said, "They couldn't… they couldn't do anything for him." He said, trying to be a strong father the best he could as Freddie looked up at him, shaking her head as he nodded, "I'm so sorry." He said. Her face broke his heart in two, and this wasn't supposed to happen.

"No." Freddie shook her head, "No, just let me go see him." Freddie nodded, trying to get by.

"Freddie, you can't." Punk shook his head, wrapping his arm around her waist as she shook her head and looked up at him, "I'm so sorry." He said as she shook her head, tears springing from her eyes eventually as she managed to digest what he was telling her.

"What happened?" She cried loudly, "What happened to him?" She pulled at his t-shirt in hysterical tears as Punk placed his arms around her, trying to calm her down as she just cried loudly in his arms, sobbing into his neck as Punk looked over to AJ who was also crying.

"I'm sorry." Punk sighed, holding her tightly in the centre of the hospital corridor.

"What happened to him?" Freddie cried over and over again, holding onto him tightly for answers, for comfort, for anything. She'd never been in shock or pain like it, and she couldn't quite comprehend what she was being told.

* * *

 **A/N: )': )': More to be cleared up soon! Stay tuned and thanks.**


	55. A Little Broken

**A Little Broken**

* * *

Four _weeks later…_

"She's not came out of her room since the funeral." Punk said, passing his mom a cup of coffee over as he sat down next to AJ on the couch, "Barely eats anything." He said.

"Give her some time." Toni sighed, "We're all hurting right now." She nodded.

The past month had been nothing but torture. It was the calm after the storm. The time to look around at the destruction left behind. Rocky's funeral had taken place a week after his death. Since then, Freddie had cut all ties from the outside world. She barely came out of her room. She barely spoke to anyone. Punk and AJ were extremely worried about her, but didn't want to push her into talking.

Julio had been transported to prison after being refused of bail, and was set to go to trial in a few months. His lawyer wanted him to take a deal of twenty years, which was the lighter option. There was no denying it this time around.

"You saw dad today?" Punk asked Toni who nodded.

"Yeah." Toni nodded, trying to stay strong, "He… he's putting on a brave face but… he's so lost." She shook her head.

"I'm gonna see him tomorrow." Punk nodded.

"He knows he's not getting out of prison." Toni nodded, "And I'm having a hard time accepting it to be honest." She sighed, "Been with him for forty years. I… I don't know what I'm supposed to do." She shook her head.

"I… everything feels wrong." Punk shook his head as AJ turned to him, placing her hand on his thigh, "I can't look Freddie in the eye because… it kills me. She is…. She's heartbroken." Punk sighed.

"Poor boy." Toni shook her head, "Your father feels responsible for all of it."

"He can't do that to himself." Punk shook his head, "It was the fucking cops who lead the triangle to us. They're the real cause of this." Punk said, shaking his head.

It was incredibly hard to be there for Freddie when she was so heartbroken. He knew how much she cared about Rocky. He knew, and he found it incredibly hard on her behalf to see how things had played out. He was a young boy who lost his life to gang violence that could have been prevented.

"What are we supposed to do?" Toni asked, looking to them for answers, for guidance, feeling just as hopeless.

"We be there for each other as much as we can." AJ nodded, "And we do what we can with the people around us." She said as Punk nodded in agreement.

"I just can't believe it's turned out this way." Toni shook her head.

"I'm going to check on Freddie." AJ sighed. She wanted to make sure Freddie didn't lose herself so much that she was becoming an unhealthy danger to herself. She knew what that felt like and refused to let her daughter go through that.

She got up from the couch and walked on over to Freddie's bedroom, knocking on the door before walking on into the room, "Hey." AJ said softly. Between her and Punk, they'd both been checking in on her, bringing her a snack, giving her a hug, just doing what they could to make sure she didn't feel as alone.

"Hey." Freddie said, lying in bed, the same movie playing over and over again on her TV which she was paying no attention to.

"Hungry?" AJ asked her, walking over to her and sitting down on the edge of her bed as she shook her head.

"No, not really." Freddie told her as AJ nodded.

"Toni is in, if you want to come say hi." AJ said, "If not, that's ok." She said, tucking a strand of her hair behind Freddie's ear.

"I just want to stay here." Freddie nodded.

"Ok." AJ said, "If you're hungry, just let me know, I'll… I'll cook up something." She smiled as Freddie nodded, "And if you want to talk-"

"I don't." Freddie shook her head. She was beginning to feel numb. At first she was shocked, and then utterly heartbroken, and then she just began to feel nothing, like she wouldn't feel anything ever again.

"Ok." AJ nodded, "Just say if you need anything." She said, rubbing her arm softly and standing up, walking back over to the door, turning around as she watched Freddie turn around in bed, hugging into a pillow.

She sighed to herself and walked back out of the bedroom. Things felt really broken and she wasn't sure how they could be fixed.

* * *

"Hey." Punk nodded, the next day, sat at the table in the visiting room where Julio had been brought out and sat in front of.

"Hey." Julio nodded to him, "How are you?"

"Ok, I guess." Punk said, "You?"

"Ok." Julio smiled softly, "How is Freddie? Mom said that she's not been very good."

"No, she's… she's finding it tough. Lost her boyfriend. I don't know why people are expecting her to be ok." He admitted truthfully.

"I wish I could… give her a hug." Julio nodded, "That poor boy… he just got caught up in it all. It could have been anyone. I should have saw it all coming."

"It's not your fault." Punk shook his head, "If anything it's the cops, they lead us right into it. And that bitch Shelly." He grunted. He was trying not to think about the things which would make him mad. He knew it wouldn't get him anywhere, "Mom said you aren't getting out on bail." He said.

"Phil, I'm not getting out at all." Julio said truthfully, "I can't get my way around this anymore. It's too late now." He nodded, trying his hardest to accept what was going on, "I'm getting a sentence in here, and it's gonna be a long one." He said as Punk nodded and looked down at the table.

"Is there anything I can do?" Punk asked him.

"Yeah." Julio nodded as Punk looked up, "Be there for your family, for your mother." He said, "Because God knows they're the most important things right now." He said, "And take care of them."

"Dad." Punk sighed to himself.

"No, I brought this on myself." Julio nodded. He wasn't a bitter man in denial, he knew the decisions he made were deserving of a prison sentence, and he wasn't denying it, "I made those decisions on my own and I deserve to pay for them. What I'm not going to do is bring everyone else down with me." He said, "That's not fair."

"You're the leader." Punk said.

"A leader who has lead this group, this family into nothing but trouble." Julio said, "If I was more responsible, maybe Freddie would still have her boyfriend." He said.

"That's not your fault. You can't sit in there blaming yourself for everything." Punk said.

"Maybe not everything, but some things." Julio nodded, "Life has been lost, people have gotten hurt, and I deserve my punishment." He said as Punk sighed.

"I'm not mad at you." Punk shook his head, "You couldn't have seen this coming. It all happened too quickly. No one saw it coming."

"We shouldn't have had to see anything coming. That's the point." Julio said, "You need to take care of this family. Do not make the same mistakes I have. We get caught out eventually. Everyone does." He said as Punk sighed, running his hand through his hair, "Be there for your daughter. She probably needs you the most. Tell her it will get better. Maybe not today or tomorrow, but one day, it'll feel better." He nodded, "And never lose sight of your family. It's the only thing we have sometimes." He said as Punk nodded and sighed.

* * *

"Hey, I'm home." Punk said, later that night as AJ came out from in the kitchen. They'd really been leaning on each other. AJ had been staying every night at the apartment and she really was practically living there. They needed each other more than ever, and most importantly, their daughter needed them.

"How was it?" AJ asked him.

"Hard." Punk nodded, "He's just totally accepting what's going on." He sighed as AJ walked over to him and gave him a hug hello as he hugged back.

"Isn't that better than him being in denial?" AJ asked him.

"Yeah, I guess." Punk nodded, "It's just hard to realise that he's pretty much done for." Punk sighed as AJ nodded, "He's not getting out of there." He said as AJ sighed and rubbed his arm softly.

"I'm sorry." AJ sighed, kissing his arm as he just nodded.

"It's fine." Punk said, groaning a little and looking over to Freddie's bedroom door, "Has she came out?" Punk asked her.

"She showered earlier." AJ nodded, "But straight back into her room after." She said as Punk nodded, "I've made her some dinner but I assume she'll not want any." She nodded.

"I'm gonna go see if she's alright." Punk said as she nodded.

"Ok." AJ smiled softly, watching as he wandered away to her bedroom.

"Hey, Freddie." Punk knocked on the door, "I'm coming in." He told her, opening up the bedroom door and walking on into the room, closing the door behind him as he saw her lying down on the bed with wet hair, "Hey." He said softly.

"Hi." Freddie said as he sat down on the edge of her bed.

"How you feeling?" He asked her.

"Same as yesterday. Same as the day before." Freddie told him, sitting up and leaning against the headboard, "How was Julio?" She asked him.

"He's hanging in there. You know him. He doesn't give in to anyone." Punk said as Freddie nodded, "I… don't think he's getting out though." He said.

"Well that's what happens when you kill two people." Freddie shrugged, "Geraldine called me to tell me they… they arrested Rocky's killer." She nodded.

"Good." Punk nodded, "That's good." He said, "But hey, I don't want you to… consume yourself with all of this-"

"What?" Freddie narrowed her eyes at him, "He's dead. W-What do you expect me to do?" She said.

"I'm just saying, it's not healthy." Punk said.

"Yeah well forgive me dad but I don't feel very healthy at the moment." Freddie said as Punk nodded.

"You're right, I'm sorry." Punk said, "I'm just really worried about you." He admitted to her truthfully, "I know you're heartbroken. I know you loved him. And I'm so sorry you have to go through this at… at this age, but you're not alone. You need to know that. Me and your mom are here, your friends, your family." He nodded.

"I want him to be here." Freddie shook her head.

"I know." Punk sighed to himself.

"What was the last thing he said to you?" Freddie asked him, "You were in the ambulance with him, weren't you?"

"Yeah." Punk nodded, "Uh…" He paused, "He didn't say much but he did mumble your name." He said as Freddie nodded slowly.

"I-I never got to… tell him I love him." She shook her head as Punk looked at her, "He was so young. He… He deserved better than this." She said tearfully.

"I know he did." Punk nodded, "Whatever you might think, I respected him and I liked him. He was good to you and you're right, this… this wasn't what he deserved." Punk said, "But we have to carry on, Freddie. It's what we do." He said, "We pick ourselves up and we carry on, even when it feels impossible."

"I don't think I can. I don't think I want to." Freddie shook her head tiredly.

"I know you can. You're stronger than anyone I know." Punk nodded, "I know things feel broken. I feel it too. Our family… it's never been this way before, but we have each other… you still have me, and you have your mom." Punk said, "I know you want him more right now probably, I get that, but things… they're not gonna feel like this forever." He said.

"It feels like it will." Freddie said.

"I know it does." Punk sighed, "But it's gonna get better. I'm not saying you're gonna move on and forget about him. You're probably not. But it's gonna get easier for you. He's still in your heart and in your head. I don't believe anyone truly dies, not as long as the person he or she touched keeps their memory and spirit alive." He said as Freddie listened to him and nodded slowly, "What would he want? You to sit around crying over him? Or carry on for him and do what you said you were going to do? College, move out, start over." Punk said, "We're all a little broken. We've all got missing pieces to us. That doesn't make us damaged or incapable of feeling better one day." He told her.

"I just really miss him." Freddie choked on a sob, rubbing her eyes as Punk nodded, shuffling over to her as she reached over to him and wrapped her arms around him tightly.

"I know you do." Punk sighed, "But I promise you, it will get better." He sighed as she hugged him tightly, "It's all going to get better."


	56. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

* * *

 _4 years later…_

"I didn't think it'd be this busy." Punk cringed a little, pulling up into the car park, driving around to try and find a visible space and not finding one.

"It's graduation day, baby. You should have expected this." AJ smiled, "I'm so happy it's a nice day. It would have been a shame if it was raining." She sighed.

"Ah, a space." Punk smirked, finding a parking space and swerving into it.

"Hey, Rey. You ready to go?" AJ turned her head into the back seat as the three year old boy sat drinking out of his juice box.

"Need the toilet." Rey told them as Punk scoffed.

"Obviously you do." Punk nodded, "Ok, we'll find one I'm sure, let's get out of this sauna of a car." He said, getting out of the car whilst AJ got out at the other side and helped Rey out of his car seat, putting him down on the ground as he ran around the car to grab a hold of Punk's hand, "You did have three juice boxes, what do you expect?" He looked down at the dark haired little guy, dressed in some shorts and a plaid shirt. They'd been warned to make sure he looked smart for photographs.

"I gave him three but I didn't expect him to drink them all." AJ admitted truthfully, "You should call her and tell her we're here. She might not know." She said, "I will find a toilet for this guy." She said as Punk nodded.

"Ok, on you go." Punk said as AJ picked Rey up and headed off into the college to try and find some toilets whilst Punk got his phone out and called his twenty two year old daughter who was officially graduating with her degree in art after four years of chaotic studies.

"Boo!" Freddie yelled, shoving her father who jumped and turned around before he even got a chance to call her.

"Hey." Punk smiled.

"Hi." Freddie smiled, wrapping her arms around him as he hugged her back.

"Look at you." Punk said, "Nice cap." He took her graduation cap from her and sat it on his head.

"It's sweaty in there." She told him as he passed her it back, "Where is mom and Rey?" She asked.

"Finding a toilet." Punk said, "Rey consumed three juice boxes."

"Of course he did." Freddie laughed, "How was the drive down?" She asked him, sitting down on a wall outside the college. Lots of people were around taking pictures around the gardens and walls. It was a pretty college which she'd enjoyed spending her time studying at.

"It was nice. It's a nice day." Punk nodded, "Toni wants to say she's sorry she couldn't make it but… she gave me this card from her and from Julio." He smiled, passing her over the card.

"You've saw Julio lately?" Freddie asked him.

"Yeah. A few weeks ago." Punk said.

"How's he doing?" Freddie asked, opening the card up.

"He's ok I guess." Punk smiled, not really knowing what else to say on behalf of a man who was no doubt spending the rest of his life in prison. He tried not to think about it too much. After all, Julio had ordered them all to carry on with their life.

"How is Toni?" Freddie asked, "I miss her."

"She's ok. Busy working." Punk nodded, "She misses you." He said as Freddie opened up the card where some money lay in.

"They're both crazy." Freddie shook her head, smiling as she read the card, slipping it back into the envelope.

"There's more cards in the car I'll give you later." Punk told her as she nodded and smiled, "Looks like they found a toilet." Punk nodded over to AJ and Rey coming back out of the college.

"Oh my God. He looks so cute." Freddie gasped, watching as AJ put Rey down on his feet as the three year old began running his way over, almost knocking into several people on his way there.

"Mommy!" Rey shouted excitedly as Freddie smiled, crouching down to catch him in her arms, picking him up into her arms and hugging him tightly.

"Hi, baby." Freddie smiled, "How good do we look?" She asked him.

"We look good." Rey nodded as Freddie smiled, kissing his cheek repeatedly as AJ eventually made her way over.

"Hey." AJ smiled.

"Hi, mom." Freddie smiled, giving her mom a half cuddle with Rey in her arms, "How are you?" She asked.

"Oh, I'm fine." AJ smiled.

"How is the house refurbishing going?" Freddie asked them, sitting back down on the wall with Rey sitting on her lap.

"Oh, yeah. Real good." Punk groaned, "Even though I feel like I'm twenty years older every day when I wake up." He said as Freddie laughed a little.

"Oh, it's not that bad." AJ smiled to him, "It's coming along nice." She said.

"It's only took you three years." Freddie laughed a little, referring to the house her parents had bought and were trying to refurbish it all. It was out of the city which was what they both wanted. It had become a little project for them, tied in with being the world's greatest babysitters to their grandson.

"Well Rey has been helping us of course." Punk said.

"You have?" Freddie turned to Rey who nodded, "Have you been helping Punk with the house?" She asked. Grandpa never stuck, Punk did.

"Yeah, I helps with the painting." Rey said, wriggling down from his mother's lap so he could stand on his own, "And mommy, I got my own room and there's… there's spider-man everywhere."

"Really?" Freddie said, "Oh my God, I'll need to see that. Mommy is coming home now so I can help you guys." She nodded.

"You can relax." AJ waved her hand, "You've been working your butt off."

"I know but I feel like I've not spend a lot of time with you guys recently." Freddie said.

"You could help me with the roofing." Punk nodded.

"Phil." AJ tutted.

"What? She offered." Punk said as Freddie smiled.

"Hey, I'll be there." Freddie nodded, looking over at Rey who was jumping on the different patterns in the path, smiling to herself.

At first he was the biggest roadblock in her way, and then he became the thing that helped her over those roadblocks. He wasn't expected. She found out she was pregnant when she was already five months along. At first it felt like the end of the world, but then she realised she could still do everything she was doing with him. It was very difficult of course, balancing college life with a baby, but she'd done it, with help from the world's greatest parents of course.

He looked just like Rocky. He was dark haired, short with soft caramel skin. His eyes were her favourite. Big, brown and innocent. She didn't get to see him as much as she liked, but she was thankful to her parents for being so hands on, and also Rocky's mom who took care of him. She didn't feel guilty for not giving up everything to be a stay at home, because she'd managed to be a good mom and graduate successfully. He'd also gave her the strength to carry on after Rocky, which really was the hardest thing for her. He was like a little piece of him she could carry with him every day now, and she loved him with all her heart.

"Ok, can we take these pictures. I'm getting burnt out here." Punk groaned a little as Freddie smiled.

"Oh, did you put sun screen on him?" Freddie asked, picking Rey up.

"Of course." AJ nodded.

"About six layers." Punk remarked as AJ smiled over to him.

"Lots and lots." Rey nodded as Freddie smiled.

"Ok, pictures everyone pictures." Punk nodded and clapped as Freddie made her way over to a tree, holding her certificate in one hand and Rey in her other arm, posing for a few pictures, getting some more with her mom and then some with her father, who hardly took one serious picture.

She felt happy. There'd been so many times she wanted to pack up, go home and call it a day, especially with the pressures of being a mom and having so much responsibility, but she'd stuck at it, and she'd most importantly done it for herself.

"They're really good." Punk smiled, looking at the pictures.

"Oh, can we go play? Can we can we?" Rey asked, jumping up and down and tugging on Freddie's hand as she looked over at the little play park set up.

"I'll take you over." AJ smiled, "Mommy can come over once she gets her gown off." She said as Rey nodded.

"Ok, c'mon then." Rey said wildly, tugging on AJ's hand as Freddie smiled, watching as her mom was dragged off by her son.

"Those juice boxes go straight to his head." Freddie laughed to herself as Punk nodded.

"They do." Punk said, watching as she took her cap and gown off, folding them up, "So… how does it feel? Being graduated?"

"Like I can finally breathe." Freddie laughed a little, slowly walking over to where the little park was, "At first I thought this place was just somewhere to go so I didn't have to face what was really going on in my head, and at home, but… I done it for me. Maybe that's selfish but…"

"It's not selfish." Punk said, "You had every right, and you done it with extra stuff going on. A frickin baby to be precise." He smiled, "You done good, kid." He nudged her as she smiled, "I hope you know how proud I am of you." He said, wrapping an arm around her.

"Stop." Freddie said modestly.

"I'm serious." Punk smiled, "You carried on, you got up and you made a living, got over the worst possible thing anyone can go through, losing someone they love, became a mom, graduated with a degree, got yourself a house." He said as Freddie smiled, "You did the whole damn thing." He said as Freddie laughed and nodded.

"Couldn't have done it without you and mom." She told him honestly, "Rey loves his Punk and AJ." She said as Punk smiled.

"He's fly." Punk nodded, "But I think he's happy you're coming home now, for good."

"I am too." Freddie nodded, "As much as the place scares me, I'm happy to get back."

"You should have done what we did, move away from the city." Punk said, "We're much happier for it."

"Yeah, you are, aren't you?" Freddie smiled. The best thing was seeing her parents get to live a life they wanted to have together, a life they never got the chance to. And she could see how much they loved taking care of Rey. She felt like her mom had never even been gone. She had a bond so strong with her, and of course her father had never stopped being there for her, and had never stopped being her best friend.

"So because you graduated, you're the one paying for dinner on the way back up the road, right?" Punk teased as Freddie smiled to him. He was still that dorky dad she was embarrassed by, but now she appreciated the embarrassment a lot more, and didn't know what she would have done without him over the years.

"I don't think that's how it works, dad." Freddie laughed a little, approaching the little park as she watched AJ push Rey on the swings, "I love the outfit, the shirt is everything."

"Your mom picked it." Punk nodded.

"He really looks like him." Freddie nodded, looking over at him as Punk nodded.

"He'd be proud of you." Punk said, "Happy for you." He said as Freddie smiled and nodded.

"I hope so." Freddie said, "Here, hold this. I want a shot on the swings." She told him, passing her things to him as he laughed, watching her run off into the park over to AJ and Rey as he watched with a smile.

It had always just been about this, his family, being there for them. It angered him at times that they had to go through so much to get to this sort of happiness. At times he thought they'd never be happy, but it got better, he could see it as he watched Freddie swing on the swing beside Rey, watching the three year old laugh with her. He was proud to be her father, and in the process of so much, getting the love of his life back meant the world to him too, eventually managing to make a life together after so much in their way. And the little guy in his little plaid shirt, his dark hair blowing up every time he swung back whilst AJ pushed him, he gave him a whole new purpose to be the best grandparent he could be.

It wasn't easy to end up this content with life, they'd had so much thrown in their way, but they got their in the end, even if they had lost people along the way, as hard as it became. They made him that little bit stronger.

* * *

 **A/N: I thought it was right to wrap it up there! I hope it didn't feel rushed but everyone went in their respective ways I wanted them to go so I thought it was the best way to end. I know this story wasn't exactly punklee focused and it was more on Freddie and Punk's relationship but it was fun to write that as I've done so many punklee stories. It was nice for a change. Thanks for the reviews throughout the story and the support! It means a lot and I hope you guys enjoyed!**


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